Christodoulides says UN chief is considering three-way Cyprus meeting

New York, United States. President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was considering a three-way meeting on Cyprus, but that a response was also needed from the Turkish Cypriot side. Speaking after meeting Guterres, Christodoulides said he was satisfied with the discussion and that the UN chief had positively received the ideas he submitted.

Proposals and EU involvement

Christodoulides said he submitted 19 new ideas concerning substantive issues, methodology and confidence-building measures. He declined to describe them publicly, saying diplomacy should be given room in the coming hours and days to establish whether specific developments would follow.

He said more active EU involvement was central to his strategy. According to Christodoulides, Guterres told him he had discussed the Cyprus issue in detail with the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.

Possible next steps

Christodoulides said the two negotiators were due to meet jointly on Thursday with the UN Deputy Secretary General and the Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus.

He told Guterres he was ready to extend his stay in New York if necessary for a joint meeting. He also thanked the UN chief for his commitment to developments aimed at resuming negotiations before the end of Guterres’ term.

Christodoulides said he believed progress was feasible if there was political will, and that Guterres was working towards that goal. Asked whether the Secretary General was considering a three-way meeting, he said yes, while stressing that the other side would also have to respond.