The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy has emphasised the importance of Thursday’s joint communiqué reference to political equality as defined in UN Security Council resolutions and both leaders’ commitment to this issue, whilst stressing the process remains at a very early stage.
María Ángela Holguín told Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Düzen that more concrete steps are needed to create a genuine atmosphere of trust before the Secretary-General can convene an informal 5+1 meeting. Various confidence-building measures are on the table, she added, noting both sides need to be encouraged to make progress.
Asked to assess the trilateral meeting, Holguín said it was in-depth, sincere and extremely open.
“This is a very good start. For the first time in five years, on 11 December, the two leaders met face to face and discussed fundamental political issues,” she said. In the final joint communiqué, both leaders agreed “that their goal is a solution to the Cyprus problem based on political equality, as defined by the UN Security Council.”
“This kind of commitment had not been undertaken by the leaders since 2020. This is no small achievement,” she said.
According to Holguín, the dialogue was between two new leaders with a fresh and creative vision for the island, which she noted is a key factor in many conflict resolution processes. The new Turkish Cypriot leader is articulate and well-informed, she added, and was able to quickly identify issues that needed to be addressed before moving to comprehensive negotiations.
“The duration of the meeting was an indication of how detailed the discussion was. I was pleased to see both leaders engaged in such detailed discussions,” she said.
On political equality, the envoy said the UN communiqué explicitly refers to relevant UN Security Council resolutions. “This represents a significant change.”
She noted that on 21 November 2025, significant agreement was reached on the initial point set by Erhurman at his first face-to-face meeting with Christodoulides. “Progress on political equality, the fundamental issue, was necessary. This was an important first step,” she said.
Holguín said that in July 2024 she had noted there was no common ground between the two then-leaders. “On 11 December, the leaders agreed to return to a clear path towards negotiations with political equality as the same reference point.”
She added that the two leaders have agreed on certain confidence-building measures and hopes they can agree on more in the coming weeks and months.
“More needs to be done to strengthen this nascent dynamic and create a genuine atmosphere of trust that will allow the Secretary-General to convene an informal 5+1 meeting. Several confidence-building measures are currently on the table and both sides will need encouragement to make progress,” she said.
Asked if she is optimistic that a solution can be achieved, Holguín said that whilst the meeting had many positive aspects, her optimism continues to depend on concrete steps and progress towards full resumption of comprehensive negotiations. “I actively support the efforts of both leaders,” she said.
Asked for her main message to Cypriots, the Personal Envoy said the Cypriot people should actively support the important efforts of both leaders.
“There is no room for complacency. The world is at a tipping point, with rapid and often unpredictable changes. During the years without negotiations, realities on the island have also changed significantly. There is now an opportunity to move towards a solution to the long-standing Cyprus issue, and this opportunity must be seized not only by the leaders but by all Cypriots,” she said.
Asked what is needed most from leaders and people for the process to succeed, Holguín replied: “Creativity, determination and sincere willingness to understand the needs and expectations of people from both sides. In this context, the important work of the recently established Youth Technical Committee is an inspiration to all.”
She noted that dialogue between the two leaders must be well-prepared and structured, and political will continues to be necessary for progress. Many on the island hope both leaders can make history, she said.
“After so many failed attempts, we must be sure that this time the process will truly succeed. This is very important for Cypriots and the UN. Cyprus and the region cannot economically afford another negotiation process ending in failure,” Holguín said.
(information from CNA)
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