Newsroom
Can another round of diplomacy bring Cyprus closer to practical progress? U.N. envoy Maria Angela Holguin is due to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Monday, ahead of a joint meeting with the island’s two leaders next week.
Holguin will hear Erhurman’s account of his recent discussions with President Nikos Christodoulides after meeting the president on Friday to hear his assessment, according to CyBC.
The separate contacts come before a scheduled Nov. 9 meeting, bringing Holguin, Christodoulides, and Erhurman together. That gives the current discussions a clear next step, though a meeting on the calendar does not guarantee agreement.
For people living with the island’s division, the value of these contacts ultimately rests on what they deliver. New crossing points, among the issues discussed by the leaders, would have a more immediate effect on daily life than diplomatic statements. No agreement on new crossings has yet been reached, according to Turkish Cypriot newspaper Bugün Kıbrıs.
The leaders have also agreed to limit public statements about the substance of their discussions until talks continue in Holguin’s presence, leaving much of the detail out of public view.
Holguin’s visit will include contacts beyond the two leaders. CyBC reported that she will also meet a delegation from Morphou municipality, while Famagusta-related discussions with those directly concerned are expected later in the week.
Monday’s meeting is another opportunity to establish where the sides stand. The test on Nov. 9 will be whether those positions leave room for an agreed way forward.
