The UN Secretary-General’s spoksperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed on Thursday evening that, in addition to his plan to visit China, António Guterres will also come to Cyprus from 27 to 29 July “as part of his good offices mission and his strong demonstrated commitment to the Cyprus issue”.
According to Dujarric, “He will meet with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as other stakeholders, and discuss efforts to advance the peace process and support stability on the island, including through the work of the UN Peacekeeping Mission on the ground there.”
Further details on the Secretary-General’s programme will be shared closer to the travel date, he added.
Politis has learned that Guterres plans to make a regional stop to visit the Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as well as stop off in Jordan before making his way to Cyprus. Regarding his Middle East contacts, the agenda includes discussions on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate ends in December 2026.
Whether the UN chief goes ahead with the visit to the region will depend on the security situation closer to the time. He will be joined by Rosemary DiCarlo and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretaries-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Peace Operations respectively.
