The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, announced this Wednesday that he has the support of both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as the guarantor countries, to initiate a new phase of talks aimed at resolving the historic conflict on the island of Cyprus, divided since 1974.
"I have the consensus of both parties and the guarantors to hold a 5+1 meeting," he detailed in statements to the press from the headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP).
Guterres emphasized the need to strengthen mutual trust before the meeting, with the aim of avoiding that this new attempt at dialogue ends up being fruitless, as has happened with the various rounds held since 2017 regarding the Cypriot issue.
"I do not want more 5+1 group meetings without results. I want a successful 5+1 meeting that paves the way for reaching a solution," Guterres said, who has not detailed the specific timeline for the moment, although he hopes that both parties will work "as quickly and effectively as possible."
The highest official of the UN explained that the process will be developed "in consultation" with the involved parties and the guarantors. "The international community also has an important role to play in the Cyprus issue. In particular, I count on the continued support of the three guarantors: Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom," he noted, referring to the states responsible for safeguarding Cypriot independence and constitutional order.
These statements come after his meetings the day before with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tufan Erhurman, as well as other representatives of civil society from both sides of the island.
"I have had the opportunity to listen to many Cypriots. Their message has been clear: they want progress. They want their leaders to reach agreements and take the final step towards a solution to the Cyprus problem. They want a future in which this island is defined not by division, but by cooperation, opportunity, and peace," he expressed to the media at the end of his visit.
At the same time, he has claimed "to respect the authority" of UNFICYP both in the buffer zone and in the ceasefire lines established by the United Nations. "For more than six decades, UNFICYP has contributed to maintaining calm and stability in a delicate environment. Its continued effectiveness depends on the cooperation of all parties," he has insisted.
This week, Guterres has stepped foot on the island for the first time, accompanied by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, Rosemary DiCarlo.
The personal envoy of the Secretary-General, María Ángela Holguín, is maintaining contacts with the parties to try to unlock the conflict. On the table is a proposal that contemplates two entities with equal status and some shared competencies, a formula different from the federal model that the UN had defended until now.
According to the British newspaper "The Independent," this approach would also include the cession of certain territories by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the deployment of a small NATO contingent as a guarantor of the agreement, a role currently played by the UN in the area that separates both territories.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, when the Turkish Army took control of the north —36.2 percent of the territory— after a coup d'état promoted by the Greek military junta and the fear of a possible union of the island with Greece. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, which maintains about 35,000 soldiers there.
Repeated attempts sponsored by the United Nations to reunify this eastern Mediterranean country on the basis of a bizonal federation have failed. The most recent effort took place in 2021, when representatives from Turkey, Greece, and the United Kingdom met in Geneva with the main Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders during three days of talks.