President Nikos Christodoulides submitted a five-point proposal to advance Cyprus negotiations at yesterday’s trilateral meeting, but UN envoy María Ángela Holguín showed no rush to move beyond confidence-building measures.
Holguín follows the rhythms imposed by the Turkish side and prioritises confidence-building measures over the substance of the Cyprus issue, which the UN Secretary-General himself had requested.
Christodoulides presented his proposal upon returning from the meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and Holguín. The plan calls for reaffirming the solution basis for the Cyprus issue, following the reference to political equality and UN Security Council resolutions in the joint communiqué of December 11, 2025.
The second point confirms convergences achieved to date. Christodoulides said convergences on internal aspects should be shared with both communities, with “those we both agree on to remain in the document.”
The third point transmits convergences concerning all five parties to the respective involved parties. The president explained that convergences on external aspects should be shared with the five participants, with “those all five agree on to remain in the document.” He said he brought the convergences and divergences recorded up to Crans-Montana to the meeting.
The fourth point calls for a formal conference based on documents rather than an informal one.
The fifth point proposes discussing the opening of four new crossing points during this conference. “At that meeting to announce the opening of four checkpoints: Kokkina, Louroujina, Mia Milia and Athienou-Aglantzia, as the UN proposed the route at the last informal expanded conference in New York last July,” the president said. He would also announce new unilateral measures for Turkish Cypriots during the formal conference.
Asked about Erhürman’s response, Christodoulides said they agreed from the outset not to speak on behalf of each other. In later statements in the occupied areas, Erhürman said the proposals were not new and had been raised fragmentarily in the past.
A journalist noted that at Crans-Montana, convergences were recorded with blue and red points. Christodoulides explained that blue represents Greek Cypriot positions, red represents Turkish Cypriot positions and black marks agreed points. “The document is ready. I believe it’s a proposal that shows both our political will and our readiness. Let’s hope there will be positive developments,” he said.
On checkpoints, the president repeated the Greek Cypriot side’s readiness for Mia Milia “even today.” For Athienou-Aglantzia, he said his proposal states readiness to accept the UN Secretary-General’s suggestion from last July. “It’s not our proposal, not a Turkish proposal. I repeat, it’s the UN SG’s proposal shared with us,” he said. He expressed readiness to open a crossing point on Lidhinis Street in old Nicosia even today.
On political equality, he repeated that the joint communiqué of December 11 resolved the issue. “And it was never disputed by our side. The problem with the previous Turkish Cypriot leader was because he presented political equality as sovereign equality, which doesn’t exist,” he said.
Holguín said in a written statement that the two leaders will continue efforts to achieve agreements on various confidence-building initiatives on the table and to start substantive negotiations.
Speaking to journalists, Holguín said that when preparing the field for negotiation, “it’s always good to be together and exchange views and discuss many things, even if nothing particular results.”
She said the two leaders had “a good discussion between them, on substance and among confidence-building measures.”
Asked whether there would be a new meeting, she said “it depends on them. Because we need results for confidence-building measures. So I’m waiting for something more.”
Asked about the expanded meeting and “if we should forget the 5+1 next month,” she said it won’t happen for now.
In her written statement, Holguín said the two leaders shared their proposals to chart a path towards starting substantive negotiations. They also examined work on the list of confidence-building initiatives previously on the table and noted some progress between the two sides.
Christodoulides also suggested that he and Erhürman continue direct contacts without necessarily waiting for Holguín’s next visit, according to information from well-informed sources.
Erhürman presented this suggestion as his own when returning to the occupied areas. According to broadcasts from the occupied areas, Erhürman said the two leaders could meet even without Holguín’s presence, adding that Christodoulides viewed this prospect positively.
However, the Turkish Cypriot leader said at the start of his statements that he would have preferred the meeting after achieving progress on confidence-building measures, but used the opportunity due to Holguín’s presence on the island.
He said yesterday’s meeting was useful for better understanding between the two sides.
Erhürman said they conveyed their views and proposals on the confidence-building measures Christodoulides presented, adding that the desired level of trust has not been achieved.
He also said they told Holguín that under these conditions a 5+1 format meeting wouldn’t make sense.