Timeline: Key Moments From the Trilateral Meeting on the Cyprus Issue in New York
The Meeting Began at 2 Am and Concluded at 3:30 Am Cyprus Time, October 16th 2024
The dinner between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar concluded shortly after 3:30 AM.
>>Analysis: A Tough Road Ahead for Cyprus Talks<<
>>Cyprus Issue: Outcomes of the Trilateral Meeting - Next Steps and Initiatives<<
>>Statements by Nikos Christodoulides and United Nations<<
TIMELINE:
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders met on Tuesday in New York for informal talks hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and agreed to meet again soon to discuss discuss "the way forward" on stalled reunification talks.
At a dinner, Guterres encouraged Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar "to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
"The leaders agreed to have an informal meeting in a broader format in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward," he added. "They also agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings."
According to government sources, the UN Secretary-General will assign the preparation of the informal expanded meetings to the UN Under-Secretary-General, Rosemary DiCarlo.
In his statements to the press following the conclusion of the meeting, the President of the Republic expressed his satisfaction that the UN Secretary-General, among other things, decided to continue these informal meetings in an expanded format, with the participation of the three guarantor powers. He also noted the agreement to hold a meeting in Cyprus with Ersin Tatar to explore the possibility of opening new crossing points.
"Let’s focus on the two positive outcomes: that this informal effort will continue. I hope the dialogue regarding the opening of new crossing points will yield results. Tonight, we made specific proposals on this matter, as well as on other Confidence-Building Measures. There was no response tonight, but these issues will be discussed in Cyprus," said Nikos Christodoulides, among other remarks.
The Secretary-General encouraged both leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement. The leaders agreed to have an informal meeting in a broader format (multilateral) in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings.
"The Secretary-General hosted an informal dinner today with the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Ersin Tatar.
The Secretary-General recalled the engagement of his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Ms. María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, who submitted her final report to him in July. He regretted that despite his Personal Envoy’s efforts and engagement with the two leaders, political actors and civil society on the island, the guarantor powers, and the broader international community, no common ground had been found between the leaders on the way forward on the Cyprus issue.
The Secretary-General encouraged the leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement.
The leaders agreed to have an informal meeting in a broader format in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings.
The Secretary-General underlined the continued steadfast commitment of the United Nations to a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus issue, for the benefit of all Cypriots and future generations."
Konstantinos Letymbiotis posted that "The dinner between the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Mr. Ersin Tatar has concluded. The exploration of resuming negotiations will continue through a multilateral meeting to be convened by the Secretary-General," stated the Spokesperson on X.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations thanked María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar for completing her mission, which, however, "did not succeed."
Guterres says Tatar agreed to multilateral meeting as trilateral meeting with Guterres and Christodoulides concludes.
The dinner between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar concluded shortly after 3:30 AM.
Guterres described the evening as "very good".
The first photo from the Guterres - Christodoulides - Tatar meeting.
One hour has passed since the start of the informal trilateral meeting in New York. The discussions are ongoing.
At the scheduled time of 7:00 p.m. New York time (02:00 Cyprus time), the trilateral meeting between UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar began.
Ersin Tatar was the first to arrive at the United Nations building, followed by President Christodoulides, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and Government Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis.
At the UN headquarters, specifically on the 38th floor where the informal dinner is set to take place, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, arrived just before 2:00 a.m.
As Offsite News reminds us, the trilateral meeting taking place tonight in New York marks the first such meeting in five years. The last trilateral meeting on Cyprus occurred in November 2019 in Berlin.
This latest effort by António Guterres is essentially his third attempt since the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks. Specifically, Guterres’ first attempt took place in 2019, when he invited Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı to a trilateral meeting in Berlin on November 25, 2019, at the Adlon Kempinski Hotel, aiming to maintain momentum in the Cyprus peace process.
Following the trilateral meeting, Guterres issued a six-paragraph statement referencing various documents, as well as UN agreements and resolutions. However, this largely reiterated the UN's previously stated positions.
Guterres' second attempt occurred exactly 3.5 years ago, in April 2021, during the five-party conference in Geneva. These negotiations ended in a deadlock.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar stated that he has never avoided dialogue and communication, which is why he will meet the Greek Cypriot leader at an informal dinner. During the meeting, Tatar plans to reiterate his willingness to participate in official negotiations, provided the sovereign equality and equal international status of Turkish Cypriots are acknowledged.
According to reports from the occupied areas, Tatar spoke to the "Bayrak" television station before the dinner, where he mentioned that he will raise several issues. These include direct flights, trade, and contact opportunities to overcome the "embargoes" imposed on Turkish Cypriots. He added that he will explain how the stance of the Greek Cypriot side, particularly concerning the construction sector (referring to arrests related to the exploitation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas), tourism, and education, has caused tension rather than reconciliation "between the two peoples," as he put it.
Tatar will also express his readiness to cooperate with the Greek Cypriot side on issues such as energy, water, irregular migration, cultural heritage, and the economy.
He expects the dinner to last approximately two hours and plans to make a statement to the press afterward.
During yesterday's meeting between Nikos Christodoulides and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, government sources revealed that the British side did not offer any new ideas regarding the continuation of the Cyprus negotiations. Instead, it was the Cypriot side that raised the issue of the Cyprus problem. According to the same sources, nearly half of the discussion focused on Cyprus' role in the broader region, marking a shift from previous meetings where the focus was primarily on the Cyprus issue.
However, a British official who participated in the meeting emphasized two key points of interest for the UK. First, the UK's principled stance on the form of a solution, aligned with the UN framework. Second, its desire to be present at any potential five-party conference as one of the guarantor powers. The UK, at this time, does not support discussions of a "4+1" format, which would include both sides, Greece, Turkey, and the UN Secretary-General. The Greek Cypriot side interprets the lack of mention of the Cyprus issue in the official Downing Street statement as open to interpretation.
The interest from international and European media is practically nonexistent. Coverage of tonight's trilateral meeting appears in only a few international outlets. It remains to be seen whether the outcome of the meeting will prove equally unworthy of attention from the global media.
What is the history of negotiations on resolving the Cyprus issue between the two communities from 1974 to today?
The Greek Cypriot side views the upcoming informal dinner in New York as a potential positive step towards restarting Cyprus talks. However, the details of how the process will unfold remain uncertain. Guterres has not yet shared his intentions with the involved parties, leaving both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides unclear about the next steps.
One possible outcome is that Guterres might propose a five-party conference, bilateral meetings, or discussions on Confidence Building Measures. There is also speculation that elements of the Guterres Framework, including issues of troops, guarantees, and governance, may be incorporated into future negotiations.
The involvement of the UN's personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuéllar, is also in question, as her contract has ended, though she has expressed interest in participating in future steps.
While there is optimism about progress, there is also concern that the talks may face delays or even a dead end, depending on Guterres' decisions. The upcoming dinner will likely set the tone for the next phase of the process.
In a new post on the platform X, the former president of DISY and former presidential candidate for the Republic of Cyprus urges the president to choose whether he will become the president of a solution or of division.
"President, it's now or never!
Choose how you will be remembered in history: as the President of Solution or Division?"
In his piece for FastForward, lawyer and former presidential candidate Achilleas Demetriades, ahead of today's trilateral meeting in New York, outlines the necessary steps to ensure that this opportunity is not wasted.
Former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoulli views the informal dinner in New York between Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a positive development. She believes the reappointment of María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy could be the most favorable outcome.
Markoulli emphasized that while no one knows what will happen, the key lies with Guterres and Holguín’s upcoming report, which is expected to be a primary discussion point. She does not expect significant discussions on core issues like governance or security, as Tatar has previously stated he will not engage in such matters. Instead, procedural topics might be addressed, including the process for restarting negotiations. Markoulli also highlighted Holguín’s support for an inclusive process involving civil society. A positive development on the Cyprus issue could act as a catalyst for resolving other regional issues, she concluded.
President Christodoulides is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, and the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office, Doros Venezis.
According to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the President approaches the meeting with a sincere political will to initiate a discussion that aligns with international law and the United Nations framework. Letymbiotis emphasized that the objective is to have a fruitful discussion that will serve as the starting point for future negotiations.
Following the meeting, President Christodoulides will make statements to the media. He is expected to depart for Brussels later in the evening to participate in the European Council meetings.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides traveled from London to New York to participate in an informal dinner with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The dinner is scheduled for 7:00 PM New York time (2:00 AM Wednesday, Cyprus time) and will take place at the United Nations headquarters.
In statements made to the media after his 40-minute meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday, Christodoulides emphasized his commitment to doing everything possible to achieve a positive result.
