**NICOSIA, Cyprus –** United Nations Personal Envoy Maria Angela Holguin has conveyed a sobering assessment of the progress on the Cyprus problem, indicating that significant headway on confidence-building measures (CBMs) remains elusive, thereby complicating efforts to revive substantive peace talks. Her recent engagements on the island, including crucial tripartite discussions, have underscored the persistent challenges in bridging the divide between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
Holguin, tasked with facilitating a resolution to the decades-old dispute, convened a series of high-level meetings earlier this year. On January 23rd, she met separately with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman. These initial dialogues paved the way for a more comprehensive tripartite meeting the following day, where both leaders, alongside Holguin, delved into the intricacies of resuming negotiations. The discussions were primarily centred on the concerns of both sides regarding the path forward, the practicalities of implementing confidence-building initiatives, and the overarching methodology for future deliberations. A four-point proposal put forth by Erhürman was also a key item on the agenda.
The UN envoy’s candid remarks following these meetings painted a picture of limited advancement. "So far there is not much progress," Holguin stated, directly addressing the lack of tangible movement on confidence-building measures. She subsequently expressed a fervent hope that the leaders would "deliver something for the confidence-building measures and continue working," a sentiment that highlights the urgency and the perceived bottleneck in the current diplomatic landscape.
The lack of substantial progress on CBMs is proving to be a significant impediment to the UN's broader objective of convening an expanded 5+1 conference, a forum envisioned to include the guarantor powers and other relevant stakeholders. The outcome of the January 24th tripartite meeting was keenly anticipated, with expectations that it might provide a breakthrough regarding these crucial measures. The ability of Christodoulides and Erhürman to demonstrate a willingness to move forward on CBMs is considered paramount for the prospect of any meaningful engagement in the immediate future.
The Republic of Cyprus, for its part, reiterated its steadfast commitment to recommencing negotiations from the framework established at the Crans-Montana talks and presented what a government spokesman described as a "very specific" proposal. Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot side conveyed its readiness to engage in constructive steps. However, the persistent disagreement on even seemingly minor issues, such as the opening of new crossing points, risks entrenching perceptions of an intractable problem, potentially hindering the creation of an atmosphere genuinely conducive to a lasting settlement. Holguin's visit, which extended until January 29th, aimed to dissect these impasses and foster the political will necessary to overcome them, preventing the entrenchment of a stalemate. The UN’s previous ambition for an expanded conference before the close of 2025 now appears increasingly challenging amidst these ongoing difficulties.