Nicosia, Cyprus. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed his commitment to supporting a Cyprus settlement during meetings with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
Meeting with Christodoulides
Welcoming Guterres to the presidential palace on Tuesday, Christodoulides said the visit was a clear indication of the UN Secretary-General’s commitment to a solution based on UN Security Council resolutions.
He said Cyprus, the region and the international community needed “good news” and expressed confidence in Guterres’ support and political commitment during challenging times.
Christodoulides also warned that certain actors were undermining the international system established after the Second World War. He said the international community had a responsibility to ensure that international law, values and principles were upheld.
The meeting between Christodoulides and Guterres lasted about one hour and 15 minutes.
UN Secretary-General’s message
After the meeting, Guterres said his visit was an expression of solidarity with the people of Cyprus and of his commitment to securing a solution.
He said progress depended primarily on Cypriots themselves, while the island’s three guarantor powers also had a role to play. He added that he would do everything possible to support Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots at what he described as an important moment.
Following his later meeting with Erhurman, Guterres made similar remarks before attending meetings with civil society groups and the Committee on Missing Persons.
Planned meetings
Guterres was due to host an evening meal with both leaders at the official residence of UN special representative Khassim Diagne in the buffer zone in Nicosia on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to convene a tripartite meeting with the two leaders at the UN good offices mission near the old Nicosia airport.
New initiative
The visit takes place amid a new initiative aimed at resuming substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
The initiative is expected to culminate in an enlarged meeting later in the summer involving the island’s two sides, the three guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.