Cyprus talks must proceed against UN chief’s December exit, national council hears

Politics Cyprus problemTop News Cyprus talks must proceed against UN chief’s December exit, national council hears Cyprus National Council Relevant News Cyprus talks must proceed against UN chief’s December exit, national council hears 22 June 2026 A decade of chaos: Britain prepares for seventh prime minister 22 June 2026 Nikolas Farantouris: Cyprus is inseparable from the security of the European Union 22 June 2026 newsroom 22 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber President Nikos Christodoulides briefed political leaders on Monday on renewed momentum in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, telling a newly composed National Council that contacts with the United Nations are proceeding ahead of a planned informal expanded conference aimed at restarting negotiations. Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told reporters after the session — which concluded around 12:15 — that all political forces represented recognised the fresh momentum generated by the UN Secretary-General’s personal initiative. The previous National Council meeting was held on March 23, 2026. Since that session, Christodoulides has held two meetings with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, met the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy during her visit to Cyprus, and held talks with the President of the European Council and the European Commission President, Letymbiotis said. The UN Secretary-General first communicated his initiative to Christodoulides in Brussels last March, following a meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan in Ankara, the spokesman said. Expanded conference the immediate goal Letymbiotis said contacts with the UN are ongoing at every level, with the goal of convening an informal expanded conference as soon as possible to serve as the springboard for resuming negotiations within the agreed framework, from the point where talks broke off. Asked whether the expanded conference was an end in itself, Letymbiotis was unequivocal. The goal of the informal expanded conference, he said, can only be to restart negotiations — and no other objective is possible given the composition of the meeting, the timing, and the fact that the Secretary-General himself has taken on this initiative personally. He noted that the Secretary-General’s mandate ends in December 2026, and that the UN chief aims to see substantive developments on the Cyprus problem before then. The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín, is expected to return to Cyprus for a new round of meetings with Christodoulides and Erhurman after completing her current contacts. The National Council will reconvene following that visit, Letymbiotis said. On reports that the UN may be seeking a framework that accommodates both the Turkish narrative of a two-state solution and the Greek Cypriot pursuit of a bicommunal bizonal federation through constructive ambiguities, Letymbiotis was categorical. Christodoulides has said — both previously and recently in an interview — that constructive ambiguities will not be permitted on the Cyprus problem, the spokesman said, because the stakes are too high and the distinction between a bizonal bicommunal federation and a confederation cannot be blurred. The only solution Cyprus pursues is that defined in all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, he said. Asked about Turkish threats and their contradiction with the UN initiative, Letymbiotis said the government does not downplay the issue and is monitoring it, adding that such statements and approaches do not contribute positively to the climate the Secretary-General has said he wants to create. Letymbiotis added that Nicosia and Athens are fully aligned and coordinated, and that the key element of Holguín’s current contacts is her meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister. Two parties attend for the first time ALMA-Citizens for Cyprus and Direct Democracy — Citizens’ Cooperation joined the National Council for the first time, represented by Odysseas Michailidis and Fidias Panayiotou respectively. Former President Nikos Anastasiades, who had been invited, informed organisers he would not attend. Also present were DISY President Annita Demetriou, AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou, ELAM President Christos Christou, and DIKO President Nikolaos Papadopoulos. Party reactions Demetriou said new possibilities are emerging that must be seized with seriousness and strategy. She called on Turkey to abandon its two-state position as a condition for progress, and renewed DISY’s call for the appointment of a dedicated EU special envoy on the Cyprus problem. “Neither exaggeration nor complacency is needed right now,” she said. “What is needed is unity, solidarity and hard work from everyone.” Christou said ELAM repeated its standing position that it disagrees with a solution based on the bizonal bicommunal federation framework, and called for Cyprus’s preconditions and objectives to be clarified before any new initiative leads to negotiations. “We are awaiting further initiatives,” he said. Stefanou said the Greek Cypriot side must continually reaffirm its political will to engage in negotiations, with the goal of reaching a strategic understanding that would mark the path toward a comprehensive settlement. He said AKEL wants talks to resume from where they left off in 2017, preserving the convergences reached and building on the framework tabled by the Secretary-General at Crans-Montana. He added that he was not certain the Secretary-General could achieve a full strategic understanding before his mandate ends, but said the UN chief wants to leave something for his successor to build on. Papadopoulos said DIKO backs Christodoulides’s efforts to have the UN Secretary-General convene an expanded international conference as soon as possible, and called on the EU to use its leverage in the context of EU-Turkey relations to press Ankara toward a constructive approach. Michailidis described the UN Secretary-General’s initiative as a positive juncture, noting that Guterres knows the Cyprus problem well, has the institutional role to act as a catalyst, and faces a window of opportunity before his departure. Panayiotou said Direct Democracy does not yet have a position on the Cyprus problem. “When we see more movement, we will consult with our people and decide whether we are for or against the bizonal bicommunal federation,” he said. (Pictures by MATTPRESS/George Christophorou) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News A decade of chaos: Britain prepares for seventh prime minister Nikolas Farantouris: Cyprus is inseparable from the security of the European Union Mafia State corruption reports lands on Attorney General’s desk Overnight pharmacies on Monday, June 22 Dozens injured, 18 missing after blast during restart at giant Qatar LNG site Temperatures to exceed 40C in European heatwave as three die in France Suspect hid body under straw after Kofinou murder, then demanded ransom from victim’s father, court hears Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.