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President Nikos Christodoulides has rejected suggestions that the Cyprus problem has reached a deadlock, saying efforts to restart negotiations are continuing despite significant disagreements.
Speaking as he arrived at the Cyprus Forum on Tuesday, Christodoulides acknowledged that there are difficulties and challenges surrounding the Cyprus issue, but said these should not be interpreted as an impasse. His comments came after UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguín warned that the opportunity for progress could gradually be slipping away.
Asked whether he agreed with Holguín's assessment, Christodoulides said he would first brief members of the National Council on developments before making further comments. “We are certainly not at an impasse,” he said, adding that more information would be provided following Wednesday's briefing.
UN remains committed to restarting talks
Christodoulides pointed to the continued involvement of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, saying he remains firmly committed to getting negotiations between the two sides underway again. According to the President, the Greek Cypriot side is supporting that effort with proposals covering the negotiating methodology, substantive issues and confidence-building measures.
He said the Greek Cypriot side has continued to put forward new proposals in an effort to help create conditions for a return to negotiations. Christodoulides said these initiatives have received a positive response from the UN Secretary-General.
The President also acknowledged that the process faces substantial obstacles and said he was not attempting to present the situation as easier than it is. In particular, he pointed to the Turkish side's continued support for a two-state settlement as a major point of disagreement, while stressing that the Greek Cypriot objective remains the reunification of Cyprus.
EU expected to increase engagement with Turkey
The European Union is also expected to play a role in efforts to restart the Cyprus talks. Christodoulides said EU official Peter Várhelyi is becoming particularly active in relation to Turkey, while Holguín is expected to visit Cyprus as part of the UN's ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The President said the EU's involvement had been discussed during meetings between Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. He said Cyprus expects contacts between EU officials and Turkey to take place as efforts continue to create the conditions for negotiations to resume.
Christodoulides reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side is continuing to work toward the resumption of talks despite the difficulties. He stressed that the effort involves concrete actions rather than statements, including work on the three areas identified by the UN Secretary-General.
While acknowledging the problems facing the process, the President again rejected the description of the Cyprus issue as being at an impasse. He said the arrival of Holguín and continued UN and EU involvement showed that diplomatic efforts were still underway, with the ultimate objective remaining the reunification of the island.
