Newsroom
President Nikos Christodoulides described his evening meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as "good and candid", saying the discussions covered all the main issues linked to the Cyprus problem.
Speaking after the dinner, which concluded on Tuesday evening, Christodoulides said the talks examined substance, methodology, areas of convergence, the prospect of a broader conference and confidence-building measures (CBMs). He confirmed that discussions would continue at 10am on Wednesday.
Earlier, before leaving for the dinner hosted by Guterres at the residence of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, the president said he hoped the evening session would be as constructive as his earlier meeting with the UN chief.
The dinner followed separate meetings between Guterres and the two leaders during his visit to the island. After meeting Erhürman, the UN Secretary-General said he had held two constructive discussions and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting efforts to find a comprehensive settlement, working alongside the Cypriots and the guarantor powers.
Guterres also said he wanted to encourage confidence-building measures that would improve daily life for people on both sides of the island. Stressing that the United Nations could not impose peace, he said lasting progress depended on the Cypriots themselves, through their leaders.
Earlier in the day, Guterres pledged to do everything possible to assist both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots at what he described as an important moment, while acknowledging that responsibility ultimately rests with the two communities and the guarantor states.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the president's earlier meeting with Guterres had been substantive and candid, adding that the aim remained to create the conditions for a new expanded conference on the Cyprus issue.
Diplomatic sources cited by the Cyprus News Agency said the UN Secretary-General wants either to achieve meaningful progress before the end of his term or leave his successor with negotiations that are close to completion. According to the same sources, no date has yet been set for a future expanded conference, with any next step depending on whether sufficient common ground emerges during Guterres' contacts on the island.
