President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman hold meeting on Cyprus issue

President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman met on September 9 at the UN Good Offices area in the Nicosia buffer zone to continue discussions on the Cyprus problem. The hour-long meeting focused on methodology, substance, and potential confidence-building measures, though both sides acknowledged that no agreement was reached on new measures. President Christodoulides described the talks as substantive, noting progress on some points despite lingering disagreements, and stated that the Greek Cypriot side is ready to resume negotiations from the point they were suspended at Crans-Montana.

Erhurman emphasized the need to create a conducive climate as requested by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warning against initiatives that erode mutual trust. He specifically cited concerns regarding government actions that disrupt events in the north. The meeting occurred as UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin cancelled scheduled visits for health reasons, planning instead to brief the Secretary-General by phone. Regarding future steps, the leaders have scheduled their next meeting for September 17 at 11:00. President Christodoulides also indicated that a joint meeting in New York, possibly involving UN leadership, remains a possibility during the upcoming General Assembly, though no final confirmation was provided.