President to meet with UNSG personal envoy on 30 January

President, Nikos Christodoulides, will hold a meeting with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, on Tuesday, 30 January, Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, has announced.

Speaking during a 16 January press briefing at the Presidential Palace, he went on to say that "the appointment of a Personal Envoy by the UN Secretary-General is an important development, especially after a period of prolonged, unfortunately, deadlock in the Cyprus issue."

The Spokesperson noted that from the outset, the government has been working persistently and methodically to achieve a resumption of negotiations from the point where they were suspended.

"We enter this new period for the Cyprus issue, with the same sincere political will and constructive attitude, hoping that the other side will show the same political will with a view to reaching a final solution of the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework, as defined by the relevant UNSC resolutions, for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality," he said.

Letymbiotis recalled that the Personal Envoy has already held a meeting with the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus in New York, during which she was informed extensively on the matter, while she also held a telephone conversation with the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell.

During her stay in Cyprus, the Spokesperson said, in addition to her meetings with the two leaders, she is planning meetings with social groups, while afterwards she will visit the guarantor states - Greece, Turkey and the UK -  as well as Brussels where she will have a series of contacts.

He reiterated Nicosia's commitment "to our highest national goal, which is none other than reaching a comprehensive and viable solution, in accordance with the Charter and the relevant UN resolutions, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality with political equality, as defined by the relevant United Nations resolutions, consistent with the European acquis and fully respecting the principles on which the European Union is founded."

Asked if the personal envoy will only have one meeting with the President of the Republic, he said that so far this is what has been arranged.

He welcomed the fact that her visit will not be a one-day visit, noting that this is "something that our side has conveyed to the General Secretary from the first moment that is to say that, Holguin's visits should be frequent, extensive and intensive, so that they provide the necessary added value to Holguin's contribution in the effort to restart negotiations."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. 

(Source: CNA)