Developments on the Cyprus problem, following the five-party Summit held in New York, will be the focus of National Foreign Policy Council, which will meet under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis.

The meeting will be held on Monday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m.

4 MOUs completed and new ones added

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Gerapetritis said the discussion was extremely productive. Of the six Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) agreed in March in Geneva, four were completed and new ones were added.

According to the Foreign Minister, eight years after Crans Montana and the inaction it brought, “now the Cyprus issue is on top of the agenda of the UN Secretary General, who has appointed a Personal Envoy so that he can closely monitor these developments.”

The CBMs will create “a fertile ground for us to be able to move forward to a more substantive discussion in relation to a united Cyprus, which will operate within the framework of the UN Security Council Resolutions.”

“The message of a united Cyprus is necessary in a world experiencing civil strife and intolerance. It is important that the Greek government in concert with the Cyprus Republic pursue the national goal of reunification of the megalithic island,” he concluded.

Next meetings

For his part, UN Secretary General Anthony Guterres spoke of constructive meetings, adding that progress had been made on four of the six MEAs, saying they were also close on the demining issue.

Guterres also referred to the timetable, as it was agreed to have a formal meeting with the two leaders and a second meeting at a later stage. According to reports, one meeting will take place in September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and another at the end of 2025. In the meantime, the “pseudo-state” has elections.

Asked whether the informal session marks the beginning of new negotiations, the Secretary General said there are significant difficulties and that the road is long, but this process must continue. It is a complex issue, but I think we have made progress, step by step, this process will continue, he said.