Rival leaders in Cyprus will meet informally with UN chief this month
Stéphane Dujarric said the informal meeting on July 16-17 at U.N. headquarters in New York 'will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since March.'
At that meeting, Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar agreed to trust-building measures on issues like energy, environment, opening four new crossing points along a U.N.-controlled buffer zone, youth affairs and demining.
The Mediterranean island was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by Athens junta-backed supporters of uniting the island with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and it maintains more than 35,000 troops in the island's northern third.
Negotiations between the rivals have been stalled since 2017.
Maria Angela Holguin, a new envoy Guterres appointed, said at the end of her first weeklong visit to Cyprus in late May that Guterres 'continues to push' for a resumption of peace talks.
But no breakthrough is expected at the meeting this month because Turkey and Turkish Cypriot insist on a two-state accord that Greek Cypriots flatly reject.
The agreed-upon, U.N.-endorsed framework for a peace deal has been a reunified Cyprus as a federation composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones.
Ever since his 2020 election, Tatar has been demanding a two-state deal. He faces reelection in October and says he's running on the same two-state platform with Ankara's full backing.
Greek Cypriots say they won't agree to any accord that formally partitions the island, allows for a permanent Turkish troop presence, gives Turkey rights to militarily intervene or offers the minority Turkish Cypriots a veto right on all government decisions.
Despite these differences, the rivals have made some progress on trust-building measures, which also include work on a photovoltaic park inside the buffer zone and restoration work on cemeteries on both sides of the divide.
___
AP writer Menelaos Hadjicostis contributed from Nicosia, Cyprus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump he will not back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he "will not back down" from Russia's goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said. The spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and "again raised the issue of an early end to military action" in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. In response, Mr Putin said "Russia will not back down" from its aims there, which include "the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs," Mr Ushakov said. The phrase "root causes" is shorthand for Moscow's argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO. Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia. At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said. The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country's territorial gains. He also briefed Mr Trump on , which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers. Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed - nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine. Mr Putin and Mr Trump's call came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles. The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said. Read more: The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington. Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine's ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances. Mr Putin and Mr Trump's phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iran: Still a chance for peace talks with US
Iran's foreign ministry has told Sky News there is still a chance for peace talks with the United States. In an interview in Iran's foreign ministry in Tehran, a senior Iranian official said despite the attacks on his country by America and Israel, back-channel efforts are under way to restart the search for a diplomatic solution. The comments will be seen as an olive branch for the administration to seize as it explores a diplomatic way forward. Sky News is one of only a handful of foreign news organisations allowed access to Iran following We also filmed the impact of Israel's attacks on ordinary Iranians in Tehran. In the wake of declared by Donald Trump, Esmaeil Baqaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said the US must show it is genuine in its desire for peace. "Diplomacy must not be abused or used as a tool for deception or for simply a sort of psychological warfare against their adversaries." Iran felt diplomacy had been betrayed, he said. US-Iranian talks were on the verge of reconvening when Israel attacked his country. And America had breached international law in its support of what he called "Zionist aggression". But Mr Baqaei said "diplomacy never ends, there are contacts, indirectly. My minister is talking to Oman, Qatar and others". President Trump says he is ready to talk with Iran, but major stumbling blocks need to be overcome. The US wants Iran to give up nuclear enrichment completely. Iran has long insisted it has the right to carry on. Read more from Sky News: Across town, we witnessed the impact of Israel's attacks in Gisha, an upmarket neighbourhood of Tehran. Israel claims its attacks on Iranian figures were precision-targeted. In reality they appear to have been far from surgical. The airstrike came at 10.30 Friday morning two weeks ago. It ripped a hole through four floors of reinforced concrete in the residential apartment block. The target may have been a nuclear scientist living there, but everyone in the building is now without a home. Engineers say it will almost certainly need to be torn down. The mood in the Iranian capital seems subdued and tense. Iranians fear Israelis will renew their air campaign despite the ceasefire. There is widespread resentment of the leadership after nationwide social unrest and massive economic problems. But the Israeli attacks have rallied many Iranians around their government all the same. They had hoped diplomacy with America could deliver a new deal and an end to sanctions, then Israel began its 12-day aerial onslaught Iranians hope somehow talks can be restarted, but they also know the chances of progress are for now at least not great.
New York Times
9 hours ago
- New York Times
Israel and Syria in U.S.-Brokered Talks to End Border Conflict, Trump Envoy Says
Syria and Israel are engaged in 'meaningful' talks through the United States that aim to restore calm along their border, according to Thomas J. Barrack Jr., one of President Trump's key envoys to the Middle East. Mr. Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, said in an interview with The New York Times that the administration wanted Syria to join the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states during Mr. Trump's first term. But Mr. Barrack cautioned that this could take time because Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Shara, could face resistance at home. 'He cannot be seen by his own people to be forced or coerced into the Abraham Accords,' Mr. Barrack said. 'So he has to work slowly.' Mr. Trump tapped Mr. Barrack, an old friend and private equity investor, to help realize his vision for the Middle East, which the administration hopes will foster less conflict and more prosperity. Mr. Trump made clear during his Mideast visit in May that lucrative business deals in sectors including arms and artificial intelligence were his priority, and his decision to bomb nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran last month showed his support for Israel and willingness to use force against American foes. Mr. Barrack called the administration's approach a departure from previous 'failed' American attempts at 'nation building' and from past efforts to shape how other governments rule. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
