The informal five-party meeting on the lond-standing Cyprus issue, held in Geneva, on Monday, was described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a step forward, marking the most significant development since 2017.
This gathering has rekindled hopes for renewed negotiations, with a follow-up meeting expected in late July, signaling the commitment of all parties involved to continue the dialogue.
Athens and Nicosia have expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, with the Greek government attributing part of this progress to the direct communication channel between Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. This connection is believed to have played a crucial role in facilitating the process and reigniting discussions that led to the Geneva meeting.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides also welcomed the development, calling it an important first step toward resuming negotiations. He emphasized that while the goal has not yet been fully realized, progress has been made for the first time since 2017, when efforts to resolve the issue collapsed in the Crans-Montana talks.
Reflecting on the key takeaways from Geneva, Christodoulides highlighted three main points: the UN Secretary-General’s decision to appoint a personal envoy to push forward negotiations within the agreed framework, the commitment to a new expanded-format meeting in July to assess progress, and a joint letter from the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council to the UN chief, with copies sent to both himself and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
Following the meeting, the Greek foreign minister reaffirmed that reunification remains the only viable solution. He underscored the significance of Cyprus being back on the UN agenda and confirmed the decision to appoint a UN personal envoy to oversee the next stages of discussions.
Acknowledging the divergence in positions between the Turkish Cypriot side and the framework set by UN Security Council resolutions, he stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue and fostering trust.
On the Turkish side, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli stated that the Geneva talks explored areas of potential cooperation between the two communities, despite the lack of common ground for a final settlement.
He noted that the leaders agreed on advancing efforts to open new crossing points, clear landmines, address environmental and climate issues, generate solar energy in the buffer zone, restore cemeteries, and establish a technical committee on youth affairs.
