Yiannis Ioannou
UN Secretary-General António Guterres' visit to Cyprus is being viewed as a success in terms of the substance of the Cyprus issue, a point also made by President Nikos Christodoulides. While Guterres did not announce a specific date, he confirmed that a new informal "5+1" conference on Cyprus will be convened. According to well-informed sources, he also gave both leaders what amounted to a reality check on the next steps in the peace process.
At the same time, diplomatic sources describe Guterres' visit as largely procedural, in the sense that it had become clear early on that he would neither make any dramatic announcements nor declare the resumption of negotiations while on the island. Instead, he announced plans to convene an international conference on Cyprus—an essential step if the frozen peace talks are to move forward.
With Guterres' term as UN Secretary-General ending later this year, the outcome of his meetings with the two leaders ensures that the diplomatic process maintains momentum and sets developments in motion that could ultimately be passed on to his successor, who will inherit responsibility for the Cyprus file.
The goal: a successful "5+1" conference
Although Guterres did not specify when the next informal 5+1 conference will take place, it became clear from his separate meetings with the two leaders, their joint lunch, their trilateral meeting and his press conference that his approach was focused on achieving a concrete outcome.
His efforts included:
- Securing the agreement of all parties to convene an international conference, including a green light from Ankara.
- Referring specifically to the experience following the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks, citing the Berlin meeting in 2019, the Geneva meeting in 2021, and the more recent discussions in New York in 2024 and Geneva in 2025, to demonstrate that he would not convene another international conference simply for the sake of holding one.
- Making it clear to both leaders that the objective is for the next informal 5+1 conference, whenever it takes place, to produce a return to formal Cyprus negotiations. In doing so, he implicitly pointed to the Guterres Framework, even without naming it directly. The flexible timetable also gives him the option of effectively handing the Cyprus issue over to the next UN Secretary-General.
Confidence-building measures back on the table
Guterres also revived the issue of confidence-building measures (CBMs) as a prerequisite for breaking the deadlock in the negotiations, effectively placing the responsibility on the two leaders.
From the moment he arrived in Cyprus, he left little room for misinterpretation regarding the UN's role, making it clear that the United Nations would not solve the Cyprus problem itself. Rather, the solution lies with the parties directly involved, the island's two communities and their respective leaderships.
Well-informed sources indicate that the next 5+1 conference is now expected to take place in the autumn, after the UN General Assembly in New York in September. Guterres himself confirmed that no meeting on Cyprus would be organized during the UN's high-level week.
The bigger picture
What Nicosia appears to be taking away from Guterres' visit, and what was also reflected in President Christodoulides' own remarks, is the announcement of a new international conference based on the existing body of convergences, with the Guterres Framework clearly implied, even if not explicitly mentioned.
Also seen as significant is the European Union's growing involvement in the process. The EU's new special envoy, Raffaele Fitto, is due to arrive in Nicosia on Friday for meetings with both leaders. At the same time, the prospect of improved EU-Turkey relations appears to have played a role in securing Ankara's agreement to yet another informal international conference.
Nevertheless, it is clear that breaking the deadlock, and even more so returning to substantive Cyprus negotiations, remains a difficult challenge. It is an issue that will continue to occupy all parties involved through the end of the year.
Against this backdrop, nothing can be taken for granted at this stage.
