President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman are expected to assess whether progress can be made on confidence-building measures when they meet on 26 August, with particular attention on crossing points.
The meeting comes as the United Nations continues preparations for an expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue, where the aim will be to secure a decision on restarting formal negotiations.
Focus on confidence-building measures
Informed sources told CNA that the two leaders are expected to discuss whether the Turkish Cypriot side is prepared to move forward on confidence-building measures, particularly those concerning crossing points.
The issue has already been discussed in the presence of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. The UN chief has also submitted a proposal on which the Greek Cypriot side has responded positively, the sources said.
The negotiators of the two sides are expected to meet in advance to prepare for the leaders’ meeting.
Preparations for expanded meeting
Work is continuing on the substance of the next expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue. Existing convergences are being compiled and will be presented to both sides in Cyprus and to the three guarantor powers.
According to the same sources, the document setting out those convergences is expected to be distributed to the parties involved within weeks. Guterres is then expected to convene the expanded meeting.
The objective is for the meeting to produce a decision on the resumption of negotiations.
Following his joint meeting with Christodoulides and Erhürman in Nicosia on 29 July, Guterres announced that he would convene another 5+1 meeting after appropriate preparation on confidence-building measures, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved.
Source: CNA.
