United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced that he will convene a new informal “5+1” meeting on the Cyprus issue, signaling a renewed diplomatic effort to revive negotiations aimed at ending the island's decades-long division. The announcement follows a series of meetings in Nicosia with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
Preparations Before the Next Round of Talks
Speaking after his consultations, Guterres said the new conference would take place once adequate preparations have been completed, focusing on confidence-building measures, negotiating methodology and the substance of future discussions.
The planned format will bring together the two Cypriot leaders, the United Nations, and the three guarantor powers — Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom — in an effort to determine the way forward for the peace process.
A New Attempt to Break Years of Deadlock
Formal negotiations on the Cyprus issue have remained stalled since the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks in 2017. The UN Secretary-General's latest initiative seeks to rebuild trust between the two sides and create the conditions for meaningful negotiations after years of diplomatic impasse.
Guterres emphasized that confidence-building measures will play a crucial role in preparing the ground for the next phase of discussions.
Persistent Differences Remain
Despite signs of renewed diplomatic engagement, significant disagreements continue to separate the two sides.
The Greek Cypriot side supports the resumption of negotiations based on the long-standing UN framework for a bizonal, bicommunal federation, while the Turkish Cypriot leadership continues to seek guarantees regarding political equality and the structure of any future negotiations.
International Attention Returns to the Cyprus Issue
The Secretary-General's initiative has renewed international attention on one of Europe's longest-running unresolved conflicts.
The United Nations hopes that the informal 5+1 meeting will help define a realistic path toward restarting formal peace talks, while Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and the United Kingdom are expected to play key roles in supporting the diplomatic process.