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UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrives in Cyprus on Monday evening, July 27, bringing a high-level delegation that includes Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, along with Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín. The trip marks the first visit by a UN Secretary-General to the island since Ban Ki-moon traveled to Nicosia in February 2010.
The three-day schedule centres on direct dialogue with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman. On Tuesday morning, July 28, Guterres holds separate meetings with both leaders before laying a wreath at the fallen peacekeepers monument near Ledra Palace. His afternoon schedule includes a tour of the Committee on Missing Persons anthropological laboratory, followed by sessions with negotiators, Technical Committee heads, and civil society representatives.
Social contacts begin Tuesday evening with a private dinner at the residence of the UN Special Representative in Nicosia. Official joint discussions follow on Wednesday morning, July 29, at the Good Offices Mission inside the UN buffer zone near Nicosia airport, concluding with a press conference before the delegation departs.
The diplomatic mission coincides with contrasting political statements issued on July 20, marking 52 years since the 1974 military action. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a statement praising the 1974 operation, describing it as a peace and freedom milestone, while reasserting Turkey’s status as a guarantor power committed to supporting the Turkish Cypriot population. Meanwhile, local officials across the divide prepare to present their respective positions during the upcoming UN-led talks.
