UN Cyprus envoy discusses obstacles with PM
The obstacles to rekindling talks on the Cyprus issue, let alone to reaching a mutually acceptable settlement, were the focus of a meeting in Athens on Tuesday between María Ángela Holguín Cuellar, the UN chief’s new personal envoy for Cyprus, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.
According to a statement from Maximos Mansion, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for renewed talks within the framework outlined by Security Council resolutions. Holguín is scheduled to travel to Ankara, London and Brussels before returning to Cyprus on March 6 for meetings with the leadership of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus as well as Turkish-Cypriot officials in the occupied north.
The Colombian diplomat plans to visit Cyprus every months in the coming period, while also making stops in Athens, Ankara and London – the three guarantor powers – and maintaining an open line of communication with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
According to sources, Holguín appeared well-informed about the difficulties surrounding the Cyprus problem, a “frozen conflict” that in 2024 marks 50 years since it started with the Turkish invasion. Nevertheless, she appears determined to utilize the next six months to explore the potential for a breakthrough.
While it was initially understood on both sides that peace talks would resume from where they left off at the failed 2017 talks in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, Turkey has in recent years shifted toward the idea of a two-state solution based on recognition of the “realities on the island.”
