President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said he will attend Monday’s meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman “with clear political will”, expressing hope that a reciprocal response could lead to tangible results in the Cyprus talks.
Speaking to journalists after a visit to Paphos General Hospital, the President said he approaches the meeting with seriousness and readiness to achieve progress.
“Meetings are never merely formalities”
Responding to media reports in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot press suggesting that the meeting would be routine with no expected outcome, Christodoulides said such encounters should not be seen as symbolic.
“These meetings are never merely a formality,” he said, particularly in light of the discussions he recently held with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Brussels.
Christodoulides added that he believes the Turkish Cypriot leader is aware of the UN Secretary-General’s political will and of his intention to see meaningful and substantive progress before the end of his term.
“Therefore, I am going there with utmost seriousness and with readiness, and, if there is a response, to achieve positive results,” the President said.
Background to the Cyprus talks
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied the island’s northern third. Successive rounds of United Nations-led negotiations have so far failed to reach a settlement.
The most recent formal talks collapsed in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.
In 2025, the UN Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, first in Geneva in March and later in New York in July. A tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders also took place in September on the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
An additional informal meeting in a broader format, expected before the end of 2025, has not yet been announced.
The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Angela Holguín, remains tasked with engaging the parties in efforts to explore prospects for renewed negotiations.