Cyprus pushes for separate Guterres and Holguín meetings as Turkey shows little interest

Politics Antonio GuterresCyprus problemMaria Angela Holguin CuellarNikos ChristodoulidesTop NewsTufan Erhurman Cyprus pushes for separate Guterres and Holguín meetings as Turkey shows little interest Unsg Cyprus Leaders 1536x1024 Relevant News Cyprus pushes for separate Guterres and Holguín meetings as Turkey shows little interest 15 September 2026 Cyprus’s 2027 budget forecasts surplus despite Ukraine and Middle East wars 15 September 2026 Cyprus closes ‘black van’ probe as questions over Angelidis persist 15 September 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 15 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Efforts are under way to arrange two separate meetings between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders and both UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his personal envoy on the Cyprus problem. The information comes from sources familiar with the behind-the-scenes moves who spoke to philenews. Prospects remain low, however, as the Turkish side shows little interest overall in resuming Cyprus talks, a stance expected to be confirmed during the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week. For Turkey, the Cyprus problem is not high on the agenda. Guterres will hold meetings with all parties involved in the Cyprus problem next week. Four of the meetings will take place within the High-Level Week itself, while one will fall outside the Secretary-General’s official UNGA engagements. These meetings are expected to indicate the prospects for the Cyprus problem and Guterres’s next steps; he wants to hear, even briefly, the views of all sides before making his own decisions. Guterres and Holguín speak by phone Maria Angela Holguín, Guterres’s personal envoy, is expected to be in New York next week following the health problem she experienced. Whether she will meet Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman should become clear in the coming days, particularly after the two leaders hold their next meeting this Thursday. Holguín spoke by phone with Guterres, though no further details were given about what was discussed. The contact is believed to have been aimed at coordinating ahead of next week’s engagements. Christodoulides said yesterday that preparations are continuing, with the aim of producing results during the UN General Assembly week that would lead to a resumption of negotiations. Asked whether the phone call between Guterres and Holguín had taken place, the president confirmed: “this phone call took place.” He said there had been an initial briefing on the call but that he would not personally disclose its outcome. “What I can tell you is that preparation continues, and there is also a meeting of negotiators today, so that during the UN General Assembly week some results emerge that will lead to the desired goal, which is an announcement on the resumption of negotiations,” he said. Negotiators hold ‘substantive’ meeting The two negotiators, Menelaos Menelaou and Mehmet Dana, met yesterday, and according to philenews information, their meeting was substantive, covering matters of substance, methodology and confidence-building measures. The meeting was preparatory ahead of Thursday’s meeting between Christodoulides and Erhürman, scheduled for 11am on 17 September. Christodoulides thanks China Christodoulides thanked China, one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, last night for its longstanding support on the Cyprus problem. Speaking at an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia marking the 77th anniversary of China’s National Day, he said the two countries are celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations this year, marked by “dialogue, cooperation and friendship.” He said Cyprus and China cooperate closely within the UN framework in support of multilateralism and its central role in safeguarding peace and stability, adding: “In a period of intense geopolitical tensions, the principles of the UN Charter must remain the compass guiding our collective action.” Christodoulides also thanked China for its longstanding support of the Republic of Cyprus’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and for its contribution to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. On the Cyprus problem, he welcomed China’s stance, including in its capacity as a permanent Security Council member, and its support for efforts to reach a comprehensive solution based on relevant Security Council resolutions and the agreed UN framework: “The status quo cannot be the future of Cyprus and its people, so we remain fully committed to the resumption of substantive negotiations and to a viable solution that will allow all Cypriots to live together in a reunified, European, prosperous country,” he said. Erhürman’s football diplomacy Media in the occupied areas gave heavy coverage yesterday to Erhürman’s comments on the Pertsintzi football academy’s under-11 team reaching the semi-finals of a tournament in North Macedonia. philenews noted the contrast with Erhürman’s broader stance: while Ankara has shown little interest in restarting Cyprus problem negotiations, Erhürman’s own public focus centred instead on the football story. Repeating his support for the proposal to have Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot children take part in a similar tournament in Cyprus, Erhürman described children playing sport together and getting to know one another as extremely valuable for peace-building efforts. He also reiterated his position that children’s participation in the tournament does not amount to recognition of the “pseudo-state,” saying: “No one has the right to sadden our children with political excuses that lack reality and legitimacy, and to deprive them of rights enjoyed by children born and living in other countries.” First official talks with new US ambassador Christodoulides will hold his first official meeting with new US Ambassador John Breslow today at 10am at the Presidential Palace, where the full range of Cyprus-US relations is expected to be discussed. In comments yesterday, Christodoulides also addressed the renewal of the US arms embargo lift for 2027, saying Cyprus-US cooperation is at its highest level ever. He was responding to reporters’ questions during a visit to Agios Dometios secondary school marking the start of the new school year. Asked about the embargo lift renewal, he said it sends “a clear message about relations between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus, which are continuously strengthening, particularly in the defence and security sector.” Beyond what the US has already announced, he said, a number of other programmes are under way concerning the modernisation of the Republic of Cyprus’s infrastructure, specifically the Andreas Papandreou air base, with talks continuing on the purchase of armament programmes from the US. He also noted that “for the first time, Cypriots are studying at American military academies,” adding: “Especially in matters of defence and security, there is excellent cooperation, cooperation that was never at such a high level before.” Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus’s 2027 budget forecasts surplus despite Ukraine and Middle East wars Cyprus closes ‘black van’ probe as questions over Angelidis persist Diego Armando Aparisio: Queer is what hasn’t arrived yet Back to the city: 20+1 spots to try this September HIO plans new pay scheme for GHS doctors by 2027 Cloudy Tuesday forecast, as temperatures set to reach 36C Arsos wildfire brought under control after burning 3.5 hectares Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.