Maria Angela Holguin assesses political will ahead of Cyprus tripartite meeting

United Nations Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, has stated that there is currently insufficient political will to address the difficult issues surrounding the Cyprus problem. In an interview with the newspaper 'Alithia', published on October 26, 2026, Holguin emphasized that while both sides understand their interests, they have yet to demonstrate the commitment necessary for serious negotiations. This assessment comes shortly before the scheduled tripartite meeting on November 9, 2026.

Holguin noted that meetings between the two leaders have not resulted in progress regarding the opening of new crossing points or other confidence-building measures. Regarding the 19 proposals from President Nikos Christodoulides and the 7 proposals from Tufan Erhurman, the UN official remarked that the quantity of proposals is secondary to the leaders' actual capacity and political willingness to implement agreements. Holguin also addressed criticism regarding her absence from the island during recent local meetings, maintaining that the core issue remains the lack of agreement on the methodology required to restart a substantive negotiating process.