President Christodoulides denies deadlock in Cyprus settlement talks

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides firmly rejected reports of a deadlock in the Cyprus settlement process during his attendance at the Cyprus Forum 2026. Speaking on September 29, he emphasized that despite significant challenges and Turkish intransigence, international efforts remain active. He noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is fully committed to restarting negotiations and that the Greek Cypriot side has submitted 19 specific proposals covering methodology, substantive issues, and confidence-building measures.

Following his participation in the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, the President is scheduled to brief the National Council on Wednesday regarding the latest developments and diplomatic contacts. Officials, including negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, confirmed that Guterres is planning specific steps for the near future, despite the negative response from Turkish-Cypriot representative Tufan Erhurman to a joint meeting request in New York.

Meanwhile, the local political landscape has been marked by the early declaration of candidacy for the next presidential election by former DISY leader Averof Neophytou. While government spokesmen have acknowledged his democratic right to run, they expressed concerns regarding the premature launch of the campaign 17 months before the elections, suggesting that such political moves might be counterproductive while the country faces critical national issues.