Cyprus dispute: Leaders engage in UN diplomacy in New York

Diplomatic efforts regarding the Cyprus dispute have intensified in New York during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Leaders from both sides of the issue are engaging in various forms of contact to lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations.

Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides is conducting several ‘behind the scenes’ meetings, with a pivotal meeting scheduled with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on September 24, following a meeting with the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín. The Cypriot government aims to create conditions for restarting substantive negotiations.

On the other side, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has expressed a desire for a productive ‘5+1’ meeting and negotiations that lead to a concrete solution. Erhürman emphasized the importance of progress in confidence-building measures and methodology to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Despite the increased diplomatic activity, some observers note low expectations for immediate breakthroughs, citing a lack of substantive results from recent meetings and ongoing disagreements over methodology and the core substance of the dispute.