Critical trilateral meeting on Cyprus issue held in Nicosia

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman meet today, November 9, 2026, at 11:00 in the UN-protected buffer zone in Nicosia. The trilateral meeting, hosted by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, aims to finalize a package of confidence-building measures (CBMs) to pave the way for a potential 5+1 conference before the end of the year.

The discussions focus on the opening of four new border crossings: Mia Milia, Athienou-Pyroi-Aglantzia, Louroujina-Lympia, and Kampos-Karavostasi. Holguin has explicitly excluded the Kokkina area from the agenda, noting it was never an option for the Turkish Cypriot side. The Envoy has emphasized that the meeting is a critical opportunity, warning that a failure to reach an agreement would result in "enormous damage" to the peace process and lead to the cancellation of any 5+1 summit, as she believes unsuccessful meetings further complicate the situation.

Looking ahead, the outcome of these talks is expected to determine the viability of restarting formal negotiations without preconditions. Holguin has suggested that key procedural issues, such as the rotating presidency, need to be clearly addressed. She noted that her mandate expires in December, making these talks a decisive moment for the current UN initiative.