Sign in Subscribe
Foreign ministers

UN Secretary General's Envoy for Cyprus Arrives in Nicosia for Informal Meeting Prep

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

United Nations Special Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, arrived in Cyprus on Sunday, July 14, for a series of contacts with both sides in preparation for the informal meeting on Cyprus scheduled for July 16-17 in New York. This comes after a series of meetings in Turkey, Greece, the United Kingdom, Brussels, and Paris, where Holguin engaged with key officials, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. The informal meeting in New York aims to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since the previous meeting in Geneva.

Key Takeaways:

  • UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, is in Cyprus for contacts with both sides ahead of the informal meeting in New York on July 16-17.
  • Holguin has held a series of meetings in Turkey, Greece, the UK, Brussels, and Paris, engaging with key officials, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis.
  • The informal meeting in New York will have the same format as the Geneva meeting last March, starting with a dinner on July 16, followed by bilateral contacts on July 17, and a plenary session.
  • The meeting aims to achieve results towards the resumption of peace talks, and Holguin has been tasked to reengage with the parties to work on next steps on the Cyprus issue.
  • UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Cyprus, Colin Stewart, will brief the UN Security Council on 14 July, discussing the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) and the Good Offices Mission.
  • The leaders of Cypriot political parties have expressed support for President Nikos Christodoulides' efforts in preparing for the Washington meeting and have agreed to stay behind but remain in constant coordination.

Statistics:

  • The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, has completed a previous assignment as Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus from January to July 2024.
  • The informal meeting in Geneva last March resulted in the two sides agreeing to proceed with a number of initiatives, including opening crossing points, creating a Technical Committee on Youth, and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.

Sources:

  • [UK Environment Minister Stephen Doughty]
  • [President of the European Council, Antonio Costa]
  • [EU Special Envoy for Cyprus Johannes Hahn]
  • [Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan]
  • [Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis]
  • [UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric]

Read more