The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly.

According to his statements after the meeting, an expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue is expected to take place in November, aiming to resume substantive talks from the point where they stopped in Crans-Montana.

“Amalthea” Humanitarian Corridor

The Cypriot President received the Secretary-General’s thanks for Cyprus’ decisive role in the “Amalthea” humanitarian corridor for Gaza. So far, 25,000 tons of aid have been sent, with Guterres requesting the continuation and intensification of shipments due to difficulties in Jordan and Egypt.

Cyprus’ EU Presidency

The assumption of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU was also discussed. As President Christodoulides noted, Guterres recognized the importance of the European dimension, and it was agreed to promote EU–UN cooperation through the Cypriot presidency.

Cyprus Issue in Focus

The Cyprus issue was at the center of the discussion. Christodoulides emphasized that the UN Secretary-General remains committed to efforts to resume talks despite international crises. He stated that the next substantive meeting is expected after the “elections” in the occupied areas on October 19, with November being the most likely date.

New Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

António Guterres informed President Christodoulides of the appointment of a new head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), a close associate, who will contribute both to the mission of the force and to the overall effort to restart dialogue.

President Christodoulides avoided commenting on the critical statements of the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, noting that any extreme positions are part of the pre-election campaign in the occupied areas. He reminded, however, that answers regarding the form of a Cyprus solution were provided by third parties, such as the UN Secretary-General and the British Minister for Europe, clarifying that the solution cannot go beyond the agreed framework.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kompos, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Maria Michail, and the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office, Doros Venezis.