UNITED NATIONS, July 18. /TASS/. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has reported achieving progress during talks on the Cyprus settlement and agreements on a number of initiatives between the leaders of the island’s Greek and Turkish communities.
"Today’s discussions were constructive. Both leaders reviewed the progress on the six initiatives they agreed to in March to build trust," he said, following a fourth expanded-format meeting on Cyprus held at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
According to him, out of six trust-building initiatives, four have already been implemented: the establishment of a technical committee on youth, initiatives on the environment and climate change, restoration of cemeteries, and an agreement on demining.
"And discussions will continue on the remaining two," the UN chief added, referring to the opening of four crossing points on the divided island and solar energy in the buffer zone.
In addition, the leaders reached a common understanding on new initiatives, including a consultative body for civil society engagement, exchanging cultural artifacts, improving air quality monitoring, and addressing microplastic pollution.
"It is critical to implement these initiatives - all of them - as soon as possible for the benefit of all Cypriots," Guterres emphasized.
"There’s a long road ahead. And it is important to think about what the future can mean - for all Cypriots," he said.
"But these steps clearly demonstrate a commitment to continuing a dialogue on the way forward and working on initiatives that benefit all Cypriots," the UN chief added.
The secretary general also confirmed that he will meet with both leaders again during the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week in September. Another informal meeting in the same format is planned later this year.
The meeting at the UN was held in the "five-plus-one" format, convening the leaders of the island’s Greek and Turkish communities and representatives from the three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK) under UN auspices, as well as the UN secretary general.
Cyprus has been divided along national lines since Turkey’s armed invasion in 1974, triggered by a coup d’etat by pro-annexation activists. The military hostilities brought approximately 37% of Cyprus under Turkish control. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was formed in 1983 on the island. The Republic is recognized in the international community only by Ankara. The southern part of the island remained under the control of the Republic of Cyprus, populated predominantly by Greek Cypriots. Repeated attempts by the parties to resolve the problem have so far failed.