The message that without progress on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) it will be very difficult to convene the next five-party conference on the Cyprus issue was sent by María Ángela Holguín, effectively addressing both leaders ahead of today’s joint meeting. As it appears, the Colombian diplomat is linking the holding of another informal expanded meeting to tangible progress on CBMs that were mainly agreed during the two informal five-party meetings held last year in Geneva and New York.

As Offsite writes, following her meeting yesterday (27/1) with the President of the Republic, Nicos Christodoulides, María Ángela Holguín stated that without progress on Confidence-Building Measures, it would be very difficult to convene an expanded conference on Cyprus.

At the same time, the Personal Envoy also referred to the agenda of today’s joint meeting she will hold with Christodoulides and Erhürman at 11:00 a.m. at the residence of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Hashim Djalal, located at the old Nicosia airport.

According to her statements, the focus of today’s meeting will be on methodology and the four points put forward by Tufan Erhürman several months ago. She also expressed hope that progress could be achieved.

Following her meeting with Tufan Erhürman, the Personal Envoy noted that she wants today’s meeting to be one of substance, where the concerns of both sides regarding the way forward toward the resumption of talks will be discussed.

It is recalled that the four points raised by the Turkish Cypriot leader during his first meeting with Nicos Christodoulides on 20/11 are as follows:

First, that the Greek Cypriot side should accept political equality and stop treating it as a subject of negotiation.

Second, that a timetable should be set for the negotiation process so that talks do not remain open-ended and continue indefinitely without results.

Third, that issues already agreed upon during the previous round of negotiations should not be reopened.

Fourth, that guarantees should be provided regarding the outcome of the talks, even if they collapse, so that Turkish Cypriots do not end up trapped in the status quo.

In statements following the meeting between President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that the President outlined in a clear and specific manner his approach toward the resumption of negotiations, maintaining and building upon the acquis of the previous negotiation process.

According to the Government Spokesman, this approach is also expected to be placed on the table during the joint meeting, where Nicos Christodoulides will present a specific proposal on how negotiations can resume.

The Spokesman stressed that if genuine political will exists, it will become evident at the negotiating table, and for this reason it is imperative that negotiations resume as soon as possible from the point where they were interrupted at Crans-Montana, always in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Referring to the four-point methodology put forward by the Turkish Cypriot leader and mentioned by María Ángela Holguín, he underlined that President Christodoulides has repeatedly and clearly stated his position, both publicly and during private meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader in the presence of the Personal Envoy, and that he will do so again at today’s meeting.

When asked where the disagreement lies on the issue of political equality, Konstantinos Letymbiotis noted that political equality has been recorded in the latest joint communiqué, which has been agreed upon and documented in a clear and explicit manner, with an important reference to United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Finally, when asked whether there is convergence between the two sides regarding political equality, he stated that there cannot be a different or selective interpretation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.