DiCarlo to swing by divided island

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, will visit Cyprus next week to hold meetings with President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, CNA has learned.

The aim of the UN official's visit is to continue the efforts made by the international organization, at the highest level, aiming at revitalizing the process for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

A well-informed source told CNA that once the date of DiCarlo's visit is finalized, arrangements for her meetings with Christodoulides and Tatar will be made. The same source did not rule out the possibility of DiCarlo having meetings with other stakeholders on the island as well.

Furthermore, the source noted the fact that DiCarlo is more senior in the UN hierarchy in relation to UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas in the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenča, who had visited Cyprus in April, July and November last year.

DiCarlo reports directly to Guterres

DiCarlo reports directly to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, whereas Jenča reports to DiCarlo, the source explained.

It added that DiCarlo will come to Cyprus from New York and after her visit to the island, she will visit Brussels, where the UNSG will also be present to attend a working lunch with the EU leaders, in the framework of the European Council meeting that will take place on March 23 and 24.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.