Ioannis Kasoulides calls missed Cyprus peace opportunity a lost chance

Former Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has expressed regret over a missed opportunity to advance peace negotiations in Cyprus during United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s visit to the island. Speaking to Kathimerini, Kasoulides stated that preparatory work regarding core issues, methodology, and confidence-building measures should have been completed prior to the Secretary-General’s arrival.

Kasoulides welcomed the decision by Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodulidis to hold weekly meetings. He advocated for cross-negotiations that encompass all aspects of the dispute, including methodology and confidence-building measures. He also suggested that Christodulidis consider opening the Haspolat crossing point, provided certain aspects of the methodology proposed by Erhürman are adjusted.

Regarding the prospects for significant progress before the end of Guterres’s term, Kasoulides expressed skepticism, noting that while efforts will be made, an impressive breakthrough is not anticipated. He emphasized that any solution must address security concerns, suggesting that a resolution should be based on the implementation methods for the security agreement previously presented by Guterres in Crans-Montana.