President Nikos Christodoulides described as “laughable” the UN Personal Envoy’s suggestion that the next five months were not conducive to convening a ‘5+1’ meeting with the guarantor powers due to Cyprus’ EU Presidency and parliamentary elections.
Asked to comment on an opinion piece published Sunday morning by María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar where she called on the leaders to prepare for formal peace talks to resume in early July, Christodoulides expressed the Greek Cypriot side’s readiness to participate immediately in an expanded conference on the Cyprus issue.
The president was adamant that any delay in convening an enlarged meeting or resuming formal talks had nothing to do with the Cyprus Republic’s EU obligations or electoral plans. Regarding the Greek Cypriot side’s positions on the talks, he said he was ready to go anywhere the UN Secretary-General wanted to convene a meeting and resume talks, with full respect to the body of work achieved up to Crans-Montana.
Ready next week for talks
Speaking to reporters after the celebrations for Saint Maron at the Maronite Church in Nicosia, the president noted that he has yet to read the UN envoy’s opinion piece, but wanted to send a message in all directions.
“I am ready next week to meet in an expanded conference, as we promised the Secretary‑General, in New York, and to announce the resumption of talks from where they left off at Crans‑Montana, with full respect for the acquis of the negotiations. Let us all prove in practice that we are ready. Let us set aside statements,” he said.
“Neither the Presidency of the Council of the European Union – and I mentioned this even before January 1 – nor the parliamentary elections in May affect matters in any way whatsoever. And I repeat: next week I am ready. If there is willingness on the part of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side, we can move forward.”
Reason for delaying ‘laughable’
Responding to a reporter’s view that the UN considers it impossible to hold a conference on Cyprus due to the EU Presidency and parliamentary elections, the president said: “How does that make it impossible when I’m telling you I am ready next week?”
He added: “As regards the parliamentary elections, I’m sorry, it is a laughable argument. The outcome of the parliamentary elections, or the process leading up to them, does not in any way whatsoever affect [the talks]. If some – I don’t know, I am not aware – are currently unable to come to the talks, let them say so publicly.
“But the Greek Cypriot side, absolutely not. We are ready next week, in New York – wherever the Secretary‑General chooses – to participate in an expanded conference where the resumption of negotiations will be announced. And, I repeat, because it matters: with full respect for the negotiating acquis.”
Congestion at Agios Dhometios
Asked what to expect in the coming period in terms of crossing points, he said: “Regarding the checkpoints and yesterday’s references (by Tufan Erhürman), I wish to state that the Republic of Cyprus was ready for the road widening (of Agios Dhometios crossing point) to take place a very long time ago; we had done our part and, indeed, there was a delay within the buffer zone, and we had suggested carrying it out ourselves so there would be no delays.
“Unfortunately, there was a negative response from the Turkish Cypriot side. I refer primarily to the period when Mr (Ersin) Tatar was at the helm, to set the record straight.”
What Holguín said
In her opinion piece, the UN Personal Envoy on Cyprus urged Cypriot leaders to prepare for formal peace talks to resume in early July, noting that no significant progress has been made on trust‑building measures promised last year.
She said the first half of 2026 is unsuitable for major developments due to Cyprus holding the EU Council Presidency and parliamentary elections in the south, as well as political transitions underway in the north following Tufan Erhürman’s election.
Holguín stressed that both sides must avoid creating new disappointments, end the blame game, and use the coming months to build trust through direct meetings and small joint decisions that show their “genuine interest” in resuming talks. At the same time, this will show their respective communities that their leaders are willing to change the status quo for the benefit of all, she added.
The UN envoy said she will return to the island in a few months when she can help achieve a "specific step forward" and when the two sides consider the UN’s presence to be “useful”.
In the meantime, she called on the leaders to set the ground for a resumption of formal talks in early July.