Christodoulides and Erhurman to meet next Tuesday after divisions at UN assembly

Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman will meet next Tuesday at 3.30pm, their first meeting since last month’s turbulent United Nations General Assembly week. The two sides ended that week further apart than they had begun it.

UN envoy warns of narrowing opportunity

UN Cyprus envoy Maria Angela Holguin warned that “it is clear that the favourable window of opportunity we had throughout last year and earlier this year is gradually closing”.

Related: Christodoulides ready to meet Holguin and Erhurman as early as Monday afternoon or Tuesday

RelatedChristodoulides ready to meet Holguin and Erhurman as early as Monday afternoon or Tuesday

She also said that “rising tensions in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean could have negative consequences for Cyprus” and that “the diplomatic space which is allowing for the revival of dialogue may not remain open for ever”.

Different accounts of proposed New York meeting

Addressing her meetings with both leaders during General Assembly week and conflicting statements about a possible tripartite meeting involving the leaders and the UN in New York, Holguin stressed that “such a meeting was not planned beforehand”.

She said she had informed Erhurman that Christodoulides wanted the meeting to take place. Erhurman then asked: “Is there a new proposal which would make such a meeting meaningful?”

Holguin said she replied that “Christodoulides had reiterated the proposals he had presented during the most recent bilateral meeting between the leaders in Cyprus”. Erhurman subsequently declined to meet in New York, she said.

Erhurman largely corroborated her account, referring to the seven issues on which UN Secretary-General Guterres had demanded progress during his visit to Cyprus in July.

“If there is a chance of reaching an agreement on a few of them, and if the secretary-general has time, I would participate in such a meeting. There was no reply to this message,” Erhurman said after returning to Cyprus from New York.

Greek Cypriot side alleges obstruction

The Greek Cypriot side offered a different account. Christodoulides last week accused Erhurman of “insisting on a two-state solution”, while his chief negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou, said the Turkish Cypriot side had followed a “pattern of obstruction” and employed “delaying tactics”.

Another issue that emerged in New York was a letter sent by the Republic of Cyprus’ permanent mission at the UN requesting that foreign diplomats not meet Turkish Cypriots.