Confidence-building measures across Cyprus’ divide “need to be implemented” so as to “create trust and demonstrate with facts the actual political will” for rapprochement, United Nations Cyprus problem envoy Maria Angela Holguin said on Saturday.
“If, over the past two years, the parties have been unable to agree on a crossing point to facilitate communication, demining, or a joint effort to eliminate plastic pollution across the island … how can they agree on a political, economic and social model capable of overcoming decades of division and growing distance between the two communities?” she asked, while speaking to newspaper Politis.
This lack of progress, she said, has come about in a time when “such divisions are becoming more pronounced by the day”.
She said that nonetheless, “despite the absence of negotiations, the United Nations has demonstrated its commitment by maintaining a presence on the ground and remaining ready to serve the parties”.
While she stressed that “the decision to resume negotiations rests with the leaders”, the UN is “continuing to contribute to maintaining contact between the communities and building bridges between the leaders who will shape the future settlement”.
On this front, she stressed the work of the bicommunal technical committees, saying that their operation “demonstrates what can be achieved through cooperation” and “remains one of the United Nations’ priorities on the island”.
She also made reference to the document being compiled which will list the convergences reached by the two sides in negotiations so far, explaining that while both sides are well aware of what has been negotiated previously, the work of the UN in this sense has been more targeted.
“The United Nations has reviewed several documents that may prove useful when the parties decide to resume formal negotiations,” she said, though regarding their details, she stressed that “this compilation will be presented when negotiations begin” and will not be released beforehand.
This decision, she said, was made because the UN’s position is that “we will not introduce anything that could give rise to further debate and serve to trigger further setbacks”.
UN invites leaders to discuss methodology during weekly meetings
Regarding the methodology of the negotiations, she said the UN had “invited” Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss the matter during their weekly meetings, and stressed that “this is no minor issue”.
“The way negotiations are conducted is fundamental to their success,” she said, before adding that “agreeing on a procedure does not mean renouncing any position or changing the vision that either party holds on the substantive issues”.
She said that is “important” that the issues of the methodology of the talks and their substance remain separate, as “confusing the two prevents agreement on the rules of the game, which both parties must respect to guide their substantive discussions”.
“Moreover, agreeing on a functional methodology would give both sides the opportunity to establish key guiding principles, including that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, early implementation of some agreements, the confidentiality of the process, and the rules for communicating progress to Cypriots,” she said.
She added on this front that “agreeing on the rules of procedure is, in itself, a measure of the willingness to engage in dialogue and of both parties’ readiness to move forward”.
Looking at the overall picture, she stressed that “as a facilitator, I will not cease my efforts, until the final day of my mandate”.
‘I firmly believe it is still possible to reach a comprehensive agreement’
“After two years of coming to Cyprus and listening to so many people of both sides, I firmly believe that it is still possible to reach a comprehensive agreement. I will continue to urge both leaders to take the long-term decisions necessary to enable Cyprus to overcome decades of confrontation, division and growing distance between its communities,” she said.
Confidence-building measures, the meeting’s methodology, and the substance of the talks were the three matters upon which United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded “adequate progress” when he visited the island in July, saying that an enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem would only be convened when that progress is achieved.
However, since the summer, relations between Cyprus’ two sides appear to have deteriorated, with a series of incidents in August and September fraying ties between Christodoulides and Erhurman.
In August, the Cyprus Mail was informed by diplomatic sources at missions in Nicosia last month that the foreign ministry had been telephoning them, telling them not to attend a briefing which was to be given by Erhurman’s undersecretary, Mehmet Dana.
Erhurman had said at the time that “this is something the world needs to see”, while also asking, “does this increase trust, or damage it?”, while the briefing did go ahead and, according to diplomatic sources, was “quite well attended”.
Leaders have held four meetings since Guterres’ visit
Since then, initiatives have been taken by the Greek Cypriot side to bring about the cancellation of international events being held by the Turkish Cypriot community, including a children’s football camp organised by FC Barcelona and a music festival in Kyrenia.
Then, after Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci and numerous other speakers, had withdrawn from the Cyprus Forum this week after it changed his title from “mayor” to “leader of the Turkish Cypriot community in Nicosia, the Cyprus Forum’s executive president Nicolas Kyriakides said that the request to do so came from inside the government.
“We … received official requests from officials pointing out that [referring to Harmanci as a mayor] is not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side,” Kyriakides told the Cyprus Mail.
Following this, a letter was sent by the Republic of Cyprus’ permanent representation to the United Nations urging foreign diplomats in New York not to meet Turkish Cypriots.
The two leaders have held four meetings since Guterres’ visit in July.