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President of Cyprus Disagrees with UN Envoy's Assessment on Cyprus Talks Restart

Published February 21, 2026, 12:08
President of Cyprus Disagrees with UN Envoy's Assessment on Cyprus Talks Restart

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, strongly disagreed with the assessment of the UN Special Envoy for Cyprus regarding a potential postponement of the resumption of talks after June. The President emphasized that neither Cyprus's assumption of the EU Council Presidency nor internal election processes should be an obstacle to restarting negotiations. He presented a five-point proposal for resuming talks, based on reaffirming the agreed basis for a solution, recording convergences, convening an expanded conference, restarting substantial negotiations, and opening roadblocks. The President Christodoulides expressed his readiness to participate in a new process as early as next week, emphasizing that the change in Turkish Cypriot leadership could contribute to restarting negotiations based on the Bi-zonal, Bi-communal Federation. He considered the current situation unacceptable and reiterated that it cannot be a solution to the Cyprus issue. Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, the President stated that their improvement could help restart talks, but stressed that full normalization cannot occur without resolving the Cyprus issue, as repeatedly stated by the Greek government. At the same time, he emphasized that any normalization does not negate Turkey's obligations to the EU. Finally, the President referred to the importance of regional collaborations, such as the Cyprus-Greece-Israel trilateral, which remains strong despite tensions in the Middle East, and the strong desire of the United States to strengthen it. Regarding the crisis in Gaza, he highlighted Cyprus's humanitarian contribution and referred to the US President's initiative as the only comprehensive plan on the table.