New York, United States. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations will work with both sides in Cyprus and the three guarantor powers to ensure the next informal expanded meeting is properly prepared and has the best chance of producing results.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Guterres said his recent visit to Cyprus had reinforced the urgency of efforts to restart meaningful negotiations.
Next meeting
Guterres said he intends to convene another informal five-plus-one meeting following consultations on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive issues.
He said the preparations would take into account convergences already achieved during previous discussions.
Need for groundwork
Guterres said earlier five-plus-one meetings had shown the importance of detailed preparation before leaders return to the negotiating table.
He said the next meeting must be prepared properly to ensure it can lead to a solution.
Consultations
The UN will consult all participants before convening the next round of talks, Guterres said.
He said the organisation would work with both sides and the guarantor powers to create conditions for the meeting’s success.
The informal five-plus-one format includes the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and representatives of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, under UN auspices.