UN envoy says leaders should meet directly without intermediaries, calls for "different model of interaction" ahead of potential formal talks restart in July
The United Nations has effectively pressed pause on formal Cyprus reunification efforts, with the Personal Envoy of UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin, signalling that conditions are not yet ripe for substantive negotiations to resume.
In an opinion editorial disseminated by the UN in Cyprus, Holguin outlined a cautious roadmap, urging the island's leaders to continue meeting independently and make small joint decisions while exploring viable pathways to restart formal negotiations "in the best possible way, beginning in July."
Reflecting on her last joint meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, Holguin highlighted what she described as a significant development: "The idea emerged that the two sides could speak directly to one another without the UN as an intermediary. This is in itself a major step forward."
She said the meeting was not convened expecting concrete results, but rather to explore pathways toward future substantive talks. "The leaders listened to one another; each explained what they hoped for and how they viewed the road towards substantive negotiations. There was frankness and, I believe, the beginning of a relation based on personal trust between them," she noted.
However, Holguin acknowledged that trust-building measures both sides committed to during a March 2025 meeting with the UN Secretary-General in Geneva "have yet to show any significant progress."
The envoy pointed to political realities on both sides of the divide as factors constraining momentum. The Republic of Cyprus has assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, keeping the government heavily occupied, while parliamentary elections in May further limit the scope for bold moves. In the north, the consolidation of new leadership and its relationship with Türkiye make the coming months "a complicated period to achieve major changes in the dialogue process."
Holguin stressed that in a conflict spanning more than half a century, marked by repeated failed negotiations, "the leaders must be careful not to subject their societies to new disappointments, which would lead to many more years of inaction."
Looking ahead, she called for building "a different model of interaction, one in which decisions help demonstrate a genuine interest in resuming negotiations, so that both communities can see that their leaders are willing to change the status quo for the benefit of all."
The UN envoy said she would continue promoting rapprochement between key groups from both communities, including bringing together Technical Committee Co-Chairs in London next week, following similar initiatives with youth groups in Amman and academics in Paphos.
As for her own return to the island, Holguin was measured: "I will return in a few months, when I see that I can contribute to a specific step forward and the leaders consider that the UN's presence is useful to facilitate decision-making."
She concluded that greater preparation now means better chances of achieving "positive and lasting results" when formal negotiations eventually resume — describing this as "the immediate challenge."