Christodoulides to meet Holguin on Tuesday ahead of trilateral talks

President Nikos Christodoulides will meet UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin on Tuesday to discuss her efforts to prepare the ground for renewed Cyprus negotiations, including responses to proposals submitted by the Greek Cypriot side. The meeting is scheduled for 3.15pm, and follows Holguin’s separate meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman earlier in the day. The discussions are expected to cover the specific proposals put forward by the Greek Cypriot side, for which Christodoulides has requested responses, as well as other issues raised during Holguin’s contacts with the two leaders. Christodoulides had earlier expressed his readiness to meet the UN envoy either on Monday or Tuesday, depending on whether she considered another meeting necessary. Holguin met Erhurman on Monday morning, with the discussions focusing on preparations for a trilateral meeting with Christodoulides scheduled for November 9. Speaking afterwards, she described the meeting as positive and said the two had discussed a range of issues ahead of next week’s encounter. “We had a meeting with Erhurman in preparation for next week’s trilateral meeting. We discussed many issues,” she told journalists, according to Turkish Cypriot media. Holguin also reiterated her optimism about the prospects for progress in the Cyprus problem. “As I said the other day, I am optimistic. I hope I am not the only optimistic person on the island,” she said. The November 9 meeting is expected to bring the two leaders together with Holguin as part of efforts to establish whether conditions exist for the resumption of formal negotiations. Christodoulides has described an expanded meeting aimed at announcing the resumption of Cyprus talks as an “entirely feasible goal”, provided there is sufficient political will. His meeting with Holguin on Tuesday will take place against the backdrop of the UN envoy’s ongoing consultations with both sides ahead of the trilateral encounter.