Guterres visit may settle fate of five-party Cyprus talks

Politics Cyprus problemTop Newsun Guterres visit may settle fate of five-party Cyprus talks %22interesting First Discussion%22 On Cyprus, Says President Christodoulides After Guterres Dinner Relevant News Guterres visit may settle fate of five-party Cyprus talks 21 July 2026 Police investigating video showing minor with disability urged to expose himself 21 July 2026 Former DIKO MP Nikos Kleanthous dies at 78 21 July 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 21 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will visit Cyprus from July 27 to 29, holding separate and joint meetings with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman before announcing results at a press conference on the final day. The visit falls in the same period as the 52nd anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion, a conflict Erhürman himself has described as part of a Cyprus problem continuing since 1963. Both sides are using the anniversary and the run-up to the visit to send messages ahead of the talks. Schedule builds to outcome announcement Both sides’ preparations are focused on what could emerge from Guterres’s meetings with the two leaders, both jointly and separately. His programme is structured so that after the final joint meeting on Wednesday, July 29, he will announce a result. Guterres’s meetings with Christodoulides and Erhürman start on the morning of Tuesday, July 28. He will see Christodoulides first, then Erhürman. That evening, he has invited both to what is described as a private dinner. The next day, July 29, he will hold a second joint meeting with the two leaders before announcing results at a press conference. Separately, María Ángela Holguín’s contacts in Brussels, where she will hold her first meeting on Wednesday with Raffaele Fitto, the EU’s envoy on the Cyprus problem, may offer an indication of intentions. The National Council will meet on Friday, and the political leadership expects a clear picture of UN moves from the President’s briefing. Whether five-party meeting will be convened remains open One question the Guterres visit is expected to resolve is whether an informal five-party meeting will go ahead, though no clear picture has emerged on this so far. Speaking after a memorial service at the Makedonitissa Tumulus for victims of the Turkish invasion, Christodoulides said convening an informal five-party meeting remains a goal. According to the Greek Cypriot side’s reading, a 5+1 meeting should aim at announcing a resumption of talks. The President said Cyprus has communicated its readiness to the Secretary-General. Asked whether pressure on Turkey has intensified, he said this was a matter primarily discussed by Guterres himself, adding that the UN chief’s personal envoy is expected to visit Turkey before travelling to Cyprus, and that further steps will depend on the outcome of those efforts. “Everything depends on Turkey’s reaction,” he said. Christodoulides highlights his own initiatives Speaking on Monday evening at a Presidential Palace event marking the 52nd anniversary of the July 20, 1974 Turkish invasion, Christodoulides said the appointment of a senior serving EU official on the Cyprus problem, the intensified effort by the UN Secretary-General, and other moves toward resuming negotiations were not accidental but the result of sustained, methodical effort. Referring to Guterres’s July 27-29 visit, he said “progress in EU-Turkey relations is directly linked to substantive progress on the Cyprus problem.” This development, he said, reflects the strategy the government has designed and is implementing. He added that the government will keep using every negotiating opportunity available, expressing hope that all parties, particularly Turkey, will show genuine political will. Turkey remains in the picture In the north, Erhürman limited his remarks to expressing support for the UN Secretary-General’s effort, while stressing he does not want “negotiations for the sake of negotiations.” He repeated familiar Turkish Cypriot demands on the Cyprus problem, saying his side wants an outcome-oriented process achieving results in line with the will of his people for a solution. He cited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s position that both sides want a just, lasting and viable solution to the Cyprus problem. Turkish Cypriots would not give up their rights, equality and security on the island, Erhürman said. Nor would they accept becoming a minority, or allow their children to be isolated from the world. He said he wants a solution and is pursuing one sincerely, adding that every move he makes is coordinated with Turkey. Read more: Christodoulides draws red line on sovereignty as UN chief and EU envoy set to visit Cyprus Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Police investigating video showing minor with disability urged to expose himself Former DIKO MP Nikos Kleanthous dies at 78 Police-backed sweep clears caravans from Larnaca beach seized by motorhomes (videos) Courts to decide on Pernera hotel takeover after former owner’s legal challenge Fuel station owners to march on Presidential Palace No criminal offence found in Videogate, but hunt continues for who ordered it Cyprus moves to extradite alleged Iranian agent to the UK Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.