Dialogos

Olguin Expresses Disappointment Over Lack of Progress in Cyprus Talks

Published January 28, 2026, 07:03
Olguin Expresses Disappointment Over Lack of Progress in Cyprus Talks

The UN Secretary-General's special envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, expressed disappointment after her meeting with President Christodoulides, stating that there has been insufficient progress in the Cyprus issue. Holguin noted that the lack of progress on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) makes it difficult to organize a comprehensive meeting (5+1). The upcoming trilateral meeting with Christodoulides and Erhurman will focus on the methodology for the four points proposed by Erhurman. Holguin expressed hope for progress, as its absence would hinder the holding of the 5+1 meeting. Following her meeting with Erhurman, Holguin stated that it was positive and prepared the trilateral. The trilateral will be a substantive discussion regarding the concerns of both sides regarding the resumption of negotiations. Mehmet Danali, representative of the Turkish Cypriot side, stated that good faith and constructive steps are needed to create a positive climate. He emphasized that Erhurman had a productive meeting with Holguin and that her comments were appropriate. Danali mentioned that the non-implementation of commitments distances the two communities and that the Turkish Cypriot leader stressed the need for confidence-building measures due to the stagnation after Crans Montana and incidents outside of dialogue.