The third round of contacts by Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar in Cyprus begins from the Presidential Palace where in the morning she will meet with President Christodoulides, followed by a meeting with Ersin Tatar in the occupied territories in the afternoon.
Nicosia deems this trip by Holguín as exceptionally significant, estimating that following the broad range of contacts she had in previous days, she should bear in mind how to proceed from here onwards.
For the Greek Cypriot side, the ball is in Holguín’s court, which is why the President of the Republic, in his morning (10 am) meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s envoy, expects to hear about her next moves and the progress of the entire effort.
He wants to hear something substantial and specific from Holguín, as well as what she brings from her trips to Ankara, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and Moscow.
The government spokesperson (statements to CNA) stated that the President expects to hear from the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguín, the results of her contacts in the previous days and her thoughts on the next steps.
According to Letymbiotis, Christodoulides and Holguín have already agreed to have a second meeting before the envoy completes her contacts in Cyprus on May 14.
The spokesperson reiterated the importance of linking the Euro-Turkish relations with progress on the Cyprus issue and the positive message sent by Nicosia and the EU.
Asked to comment on the new statements of the Turkish Cypriot leader that federation is not an option, the spokesperson once again emphasized that the Greek Cypriot side remains committed to the agreed framework for a solution, and this commitment is unwavering.
“We do not expect progress to be made through public statements, but through initiatives such as the measures towards our Turkish Cypriot compatriots that we announced in January and the Euro-Turkish measures,” he said.
President Christodoulides chooses to keep his cards close to his chest regarding his positions, awaiting the meeting with Holguín. However, this is not the case with Ersin Tatar, who rushes to publicly state his demands and what he will say to the UN Secretary-General’s envoy.
According to Kıbrıs (source GTB), Tatar reiterated that there is no question of deviating from his policy. Tatar reiterated the position that negotiations cannot begin in Cyprus unless the “equal international status,” “sovereignty,” and “state” of the Turkish Cypriot “people” are accepted, and added that they will continue efforts to increase the international visibility of the “TRNC” based on the “new policy.”
Today’s politically significant meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy also includes the meeting she will have early in the afternoon in Pindaros with the President of DISY and the Parliament, Annita Demetriou.
Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar had also met with Annita Demetriou during her previous trip to Cyprus. That meeting was part of the contacts Holguín wanted to have with political parties from both communities. According to our information, the UN envoy will meet only with the President of DISY this time, and the meeting will be private without assistants.
Even before the situation with Holguín’s mission in Cyprus is clarified, reports from the occupied territories rush to announce a deadlock and the failure of the United Nations’ effort.
Reports claim that from the contacts made by the UN Secretary-General’s envoy, she “realized that there is no common ground.” It is also reported that Holguín has already begun preparing her report to the Secretary-General, in which she will record the inability to find common ground.
As known, the Turkish side has aimed from the beginning to lead Holguín’s entire effort into a deadlock, estimating that this will either force the United Nations to either compel the Greek Cypriot side to recognize the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriots or terminate the effort to achieve a bizonal bicommunal federation.
