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President Nikos Christodoulides is heading to New York for a packed week of meetings that will put the Cyprus issue, energy, regional security and climate change firmly on the agenda.
The key appointments will be with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his personal envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, as efforts continue to revive negotiations on the island’s long-running division.
Christodoulides will travel to New York from Athens, where he is due to attend an event organized by the Cyprus Union of Shipowners on Friday evening.
His first meetings in New York will begin on Sunday, Sept. 20, with the leaders of Cypriot diaspora organizations. Discussions will focus on the latest developments surrounding the Cyprus issue.
On Monday, he will meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II at 1:15 p.m. New York time. Later that day, he will take part in a summit jointly organized by European Council President António Costa and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, focusing on multilateral cooperation, international law, peace, and prosperity.
Energy will also feature prominently during the visit, an issue that goes beyond diplomacy because it is tied to Cyprus’ plans to develop its offshore gas reserves.
On Tuesday, Christodoulides will meet Chevron executive Javier La Rosa, who oversees the company’s base assets and emerging countries division. At 6 p.m., he will meet Holguín for talks on the next steps in the Cyprus peace process.
The president will address the 81st U.N. General Assembly at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. His speech is expected to cover the Cyprus issue as well as regional and international developments.
He will later take part in a high-level climate summit convened by Guterres, where he will deliver an intervention. That afternoon, he will meet ExxonMobil Vice President John Ardill.
For Cyprus, the meetings with Chevron and ExxonMobil are particularly significant. Both energy giants are involved in the country’s offshore gas sector, and their future plans could affect government revenue, regional partnerships, and Cyprus’ broader role in the Eastern Mediterranean.
On Thursday morning, Christodoulides will attend a working breakfast organized by Antenna Group and the Atlantic Council on strengthening cooperation between the European Union and Gulf countries on regional security and prosperity.
He will meet Guterres at 10:55 a.m. before hosting a lunch for the permanent representatives of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
On Friday, the president will meet Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, followed by representatives of the American Jewish Committee. Before leaving New York, he will attend a dinner hosted in his honor by Cypriot diaspora organizations.
Christodoulides will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, and Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou.
The delegation is expected to return to Cyprus on the evening of Sept. 26.
