UN Secretary General’s Antonio Guterres` spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said that he has nothing to announce, when asked to confirm that Jane Holl Lute was named SG`s interim envoy on Cyprus.
“I have no announcement to share with you at this point. There are 193 member states which often announce things for us. When we are ready to announce it we will”, Dujarric added.
Diplomatic sources have told CNA that, so far, only President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have given their consent to the request submitted by the UN, for Jane Holl Lute to be sent as Antonio Guterres’ personal envoy for exploratory meetings with the two leaders and the three guarantor powers.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. A Conference on Cyprus last July in the Swiss resort of Crans – Montana ended inconclusively. UN backed talks aim to to reunify the island under a federal roof.
According to diplomatic sources last week the American former UN official would be appointed temporarily as the UNSG`s personal envoy, and there would be no deadline for her mission. The UNSG was still said to be considering whether Lute would launch her mission immediately or whether she would wait until the elections in Turkey, scheduled to take place on June 24.
(CNA)
