Holguín: No Progress on Confidence-Building Measures

María Ángela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, said the main obstacle to progress on the Cyprus problem was a lack of political will, expressing hope that the trilateral meeting planned for November 9 would encourage the leaders to reach an agreement.

Speaking in an interview published today by the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Holguín said she expected President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides to reach agreement on initiatives discussed during their recent bilateral meetings. She said she hoped the trilateral meeting would help secure an agreement both on confidence-building measures and on the methodology for the future negotiation process.

“I hope that the trilateral meeting during my visit will encourage the two leaders to agree on the initiatives they have discussed in their bilateral meetings,” Holguín said, highlighting the importance of practical cooperation, political will and Cypriot ownership of the process.

“DIRECT DIALOGUE IS IMPORTANT BUT NOT ENOUGH”

Holguín described the meetings held between the two leaders in recent months as positive, but said direct dialogue was useful yet insufficient on its own to demonstrate the political will needed to change the current situation.

She said she would therefore continue urging the two leaders to implement confidence-building measures that would demonstrate a genuine willingness to work together.

Stressing that the resumption of substantive negotiations depended on the positions of both sides, Holguín said the parties needed to take concrete steps to make progress.

“THE UN ENVOY DOES NOT NEED TO BE PERMANENTLY PRESENT ON THE ISLAND”

Responding to criticism that she was not present in Cyprus, Holguín said the purpose of the bilateral meetings between the leaders was to allow them to meet privately and discuss issues freely.

“I do not need to be there,” Holguín said, explaining that her role was to facilitate communication and help the parties find common ground.

She noted that she was not directly involved in the dialogue and did not participate in the negotiations, adding that her permanent presence on the island was therefore unnecessary.

“Cypriots hold their own future in their hands,” Holguín said, expressing hope that the two communities would focus on what united them rather than on the painful experiences of the past.

“NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES”

Holguín said that, to her knowledge, the latest meetings had produced no progress on crossing points, other confidence-building measures or the methodology for negotiations.

She said the parties knew what needed to be done to move forward, which issues could be agreed upon and how a more favourable environment for negotiations could be created. However, she stressed that taking the necessary steps was ultimately a decision for the parties themselves.

“The parties simply need to decide to start negotiations and continue them until a final agreement is reached,” Holguín said.

“WE ARE BOTH VERY FAR AWAY AND VERY CLOSE”

Describing the current situation regarding the Cyprus problem as contradictory, Holguín said: “We are both very far away from an agreement and very close to one.”

She said the parties remained far from an agreement because they had not demonstrated sufficient political will to seriously address the difficult issues that needed to be resolved to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

At the same time, she said both sides understood their own interests and acknowledged that those interests could be reconciled.

POLITICAL COURAGE NEEDED FOR A SETTLEMENT

Holguín said changing the status quo after so many years was extremely difficult, but progress could be made if political leaders decided that living together in a united Cyprus was more important than short-term political calculations.

Pointing to ongoing regional and global developments, she warned that the passage of time could increase the pressure on Cyprus.

“Perhaps one day the leaders will bridge this gap, engage meaningfully in the process, resolve outstanding issues and adopt a long-term strategy that transforms the current model of coexistence and the deep divisions in Cyprus,” Holguín said.

She also stressed that a successful process required the active participation of Cypriots. Although the parties might not achieve all their objectives, she said both communities would benefit from a settlement.

Holguín said a solution could bring political, economic and social benefits, adding that the leaders and, above all, the people of Cyprus would ultimately decide whether the process moved forward.