Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides is to convene the National Council on Thursday to inform the political parties about the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and preparations ahead of the informal meeting set to take place in July, according to Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis on Friday evening.

In a post on X, Letymbiotis said that President Christodoulides is to convene a National Council meeting on Thursday, July 3, at 10:00.

He said that the President is to brief political parties about the latest developments on the Cyprus problem and preparations ahead of the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format, set to take place in July, in New York, led by the UN Secretary-General.

“Our commitment to the resumption of substantive negotiations from the point they have been suspended, within the agreed framework set out in the Security Council resolutions, remains unchanged,” he notes, adding that it “reflects our firm will” and the pursuit of a comprehensive and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary General António Guterres announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format would be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17-18. The two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.

Guterres announced in early May the appointment of María Angela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, tasked to reengage with the parties in order to work on next steps on the Cyprus issue and advise him. Holguín completed a previous assignment as Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus from January to July 2024.

The European Commission designated Johannes Hahn, a former European Commissioner, as Special Envoy for Cyprus to contribute to the settlement process, in close cooperation with Holguín.