United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host talks next week in Geneva to discuss the future of Cyprus, as opposing views on the island’s political status remain deeply divided.
"The Secretary-General will bring together the two Cypriot leaders and the guarantor powers—Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom—for an informal meeting on Cyprus at the UN Office in Geneva on 17th - 18th March.
"The informal meeting ... will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward on the Cyprus issue," said U.N. spokesperson Michele Zaccheo at a Geneva press briefing on Friday.
Cyprus has been embroiled in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite repeated UN-led diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement.
The talks are seen as a way to try to break a deadlock in peace negotiations that stalled in 2017.
TRNC Foreign minister, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, downplayed the likelihood of progress.
"The Greek Cypriots want to use the opportunity (meeting) to ... pick up the negotiation from where they were left off (in 2017)," Ertuğruloğlu told Reuters recently. "For us, it is an opportunity to reiterate how we see the way forward: two separate, sovereign, equal states."
"There is no likelihood of establishing a partnership with the Greek Cypriots so why bother? Why insist on a proven failure of a formula? It's our question to the United Nations," he added.
Ahead of the Geneva talks, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar reiterated that sovereign equality and equal international status are prerequisites for any negotiations. He stated that a federation-based solution is no longer viable.
Last Saturday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with President Nikos Christodoulides at Maximos Mansion, highlighting the alignment between Athens and Nicosia.
"I want to reiterate my appreciation for your efforts to keep this dialogue alive and achieve a fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue, always based on United Nations resolutions," Mitsotakis told the Cypriot president.
Christodoulides stated that he had "a clear plan and strategy" for the upcoming Geneva talks. "We know exactly what we want—to resume talks from where they were suspended in the summer of 2017, utilizing the progress made in negotiations, with the sole aim of resolving the Cyprus issue based on the agreed framework, principles, and values of the European Union," he added.
A Turkish Cypriot breakaway "state" declared in the north is recognised only by Turkey, while the Republic of Cyprus has an internationally recognised government led by Greek Cypriots. Cyprus is also an EU member since 2004.
President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed on Sunday that Iran has asked Cyprus to relay “some messages” to Israel, as tensions continue to rise sharply in the Middle East.
Armenia has proposed elevating its cooperation with Cyprus to the level of a strategic partnership, a move positively received by Cypriot officials.
DiCarlo will meet "with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders", UN spokesman announced.
Researchers in Cyprus discovered a portrait that has been hidden for centuries beneath a 1570 oil painting.
A Cyprus-flagged cargo ship crashed into a pier in Marina di Massa, causing a partial collapse, the Italian Coast Guard reported on Wednesday.
Tesla’s new car sales in Europe plunged 27.9% in May, even as the region saw a major rise in demand for electric vehicles, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation on Thursday (24 June), exchanging views on a broad range of bilateral and international issues.
A landslide in northwest Colombia has left multiple people dead and injured, with rescue efforts still underway.
U.S. and Iranian officials have engaged in dialogue amid recent regional tensions, with Washington expressing cautious optimism about the outcome.
New research highlights that naturally-regenerating forests, often overlooked in climate policies, could remove carbon up to eight times faster than newly planted trees.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
A landslide in northwest Colombia has left multiple people dead and injured, with rescue efforts still underway.
U.S. and Iranian officials have engaged in dialogue amid recent regional tensions, with Washington expressing cautious optimism about the outcome.
The UK will buy 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
Airlines have cancelled and rerouted flights across the Middle East as the Israel-Iran conflict escalates.
African leaders at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda have called for an end to aid-based relations with the U.S., urging a stronger focus on private investment and transformative partnerships.
Tesla’s new car sales in Europe plunged 27.9% in May, even as the region saw a major rise in demand for electric vehicles, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation on Thursday (24 June), exchanging views on a broad range of bilateral and international issues.
A landslide in northwest Colombia has left multiple people dead and injured, with rescue efforts still underway.
U.S. and Iranian officials have engaged in dialogue amid recent regional tensions, with Washington expressing cautious optimism about the outcome.
New research highlights that naturally-regenerating forests, often overlooked in climate policies, could remove carbon up to eight times faster than newly planted trees.
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