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After months of quiet diplomacy, UN Secretary-General António Guterres came to Cyprus with one announcement he clearly wanted to make: a new chapter in the Cyprus talks.
Standing alongside President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman at the UN-controlled area of Nicosia Airport on Wednesday, Guterres announced that he will convene a new expanded 5+1 meeting on the Cyprus problem—bringing together the two communities and the three guarantor powers of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
But this time, he said, there would be one important difference.
"I do not want more 5+1 meetings without results," Guterres said, stressing that the conference will only take place after careful preparation, with agreement on confidence-building measures, methodology and substance.
The UN chief said both sides, as well as the guarantor powers, have already agreed in principle to move forward. No date has yet been set.
A call to rebuild trust
Guterres said the immediate priority is restoring trust between the two sides before another round of formal negotiations begins.
He urged Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to step up confidence-building measures that could improve everyday life for people across the island, saying these practical steps are essential if future negotiations are to succeed.
His personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguín, will continue working with both sides to lay the groundwork for the next meeting.
"Cypriots want progress"
Reflecting on his visit, Guterres said one message stood out from the people he met.
"Cypriots want progress," he said. "They want to see their leaders compromise. They want a future defined not by division, but by cooperation, opportunity and peace."
He described his discussions with both leaders as candid and constructive, adding that the United Nations remains committed to helping both communities reach a comprehensive and lasting settlement.
At the same time, he reminded everyone that the UN cannot solve the Cyprus problem on its own.
"The United Nations cannot impose peace," he said. "Only Cypriots themselves can build it."
More than just a Cyprus issue
Guterres also argued that a settlement is becoming increasingly important beyond Cyprus itself.
With conflicts continuing across the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, he warned that the region is becoming "dangerously unstable."
A Cyprus solution, he said, would not only benefit the island's people but would also strengthen regional stability.
"If Cyprus does not find a solution," he warned, "it becomes much more vulnerable to the dangers we see today in a region that is, to a large extent, on fire."
No more meetings for the sake of meetings
The UN Secretary-General made it clear that he has no interest in repeating the cycle of unsuccessful conferences that has characterized the peace process for years.
Instead, he said every effort over the coming months will focus on ensuring that when leaders finally return to the negotiating table, they do so with realistic prospects of making progress.
For now, there is no timetable for the next 5+1 meeting. But after years of diplomatic deadlock, Wednesday's announcement signals that the United Nations believes there is still enough common ground to justify one more serious attempt at breaking Cyprus' long-standing political impasse.
