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Diplomatic efforts for the Cyprus issue intensify ahead of UN Secretary-General visit

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has engaged in a series of high-level diplomatic consultations to coordinate strategy ahead of the upcoming visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus, scheduled for July 27–29, 2026. On July 24, Christodoulides chaired a two-and-a-half-hour meeting of the National Council to exchange views on the latest developments. Following this, the President traveled to Athens on July 25 for meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where both leaders emphasized the urgent need to restart substantive negotiations from the point where they stalled at Crans-Montana in 2017.

The Republic of Cyprus, supported by Greece, remains committed to a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and European Union law. Officials underscored that this visit is of high symbolic significance, marking the first time in 16 years that a UN Secretary-General has visited the island. The government is also welcoming the appointment of Raffaele Fitto as the European Union's special envoy for the Cyprus issue. The administration maintains a position of cautious optimism, focusing on the goal of reunifying the island and ending the long-standing status quo through diplomatic dialogue and international support.

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