The informal five-party meeting on the Cyprus issue in Geneva has yielded significant developments, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres announcing the appointment of a personal envoy to prepare the next steps. The meeting, held in a constructive atmosphere, marked the first tangible progress since the collapse of negotiations in Crans-Montana in 2017. A follow-up meeting in the same format is scheduled for late July.

President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar agreed on several confidence-building initiatives, including:

• Opening four new crossing points.
• Demining efforts.
• Establishing a Technical Committee for Youth.
• Environmental and climate-related initiatives, including solar energy production in the buffer zone.
• Restoration of cemeteries.

Guterres emphasized that these initiatives, combined with the upcoming meeting and the appointment of a UN envoy, reflect a renewed sense of urgency and commitment.

Despite the positive tone, the negotiations faced hurdles, particularly concerning the UN envoy’s role. Initially, Tatar resisted the appointment, only conceding after consultations with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. He had pushed for the envoy to focus exclusively on confidence-building measures, a proposal Guterres rejected.

Additionally, while most parties reaffirmed the solution framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation in line with UN Security Council resolutions, the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides did not explicitly endorse this approach. However, there was no assertion of "no common ground," as had been stated after a previous meeting in New York in October 2024.

President Christodoulides described the meeting’s outcome as a “first significant positive step” toward resuming negotiations. He highlighted the three key takeaways: the appointment of a UN personal envoy, the agreement to reconvene in July, and a joint letter from the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council to Guterres, reaffirming the EU’s stance on the Cyprus issue.

He also announced plans to convene the National Council to assess the next steps.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis underlined the importance of dialogue and confidence-building, stressing that reunification remains the only viable solution. He noted that Turkey’s interest in the EU played a role in facilitating discussions.

The United States welcomed the outcome, with US Ambassador to Cyprus Julie Fisher praising the constructive atmosphere and the progress on confidence-building measures.

As Cyprus moves toward the next round of discussions in July, attention will focus on whether the agreed initiatives will be implemented and whether the momentum can lead to substantive negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.

Meanwhile, Christodoulides is set to travel to Brussels for an EU leaders' summit, where discussions will include geopolitical developments and EU-Turkey relations.