UN envoy Holguin to visit Cyprus for final effort to restart negotiations

Maria Angela Holguin, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Cyprus, is scheduled to visit the island in late October for a week-long mission. This visit may be her final effort as her mandate expires in December, alongside that of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Her primary objective is to hold separate meetings with the two leaders and potentially facilitate a trilateral summit to address the current deadlock in the Cyprus peace process.

In a recent article, Holguin called on the leaders of both communities to begin working together, emphasizing the necessity of agreeing on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and establishing clear rules for future dialogue. She clarified that establishing a methodology for these discussions does not require either side to abandon their core positions. While the UN remains committed to facilitating communication, Holguin stressed that the formal decision to resume negotiations rests solely with the leaders on the island.

Despite the UN's continued involvement, progress remains stalled, with limited success even in minor issues like the opening of crossing points over the past two years. Holguin reiterated that a document outlining potential convergences will only be presented once formal negotiations are underway to prevent further setbacks.