UN Secretary General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar has said diverse perspectives in Cyprus have enriched her understanding of the situation’s complexity regarding the Cyprus problem.
At the same time, she said she will return to the island in March after visiting London, noting the level of frustration felt by many, accumulated after several attempts at negotiation is perfectly understandable, therefore it is crucial to build trust as a basic condition to build a future.
Holguin made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday by the UN where she said her first trip to Cyprus “was very satisfactory.’
‘In compliance with the mandate from the SG, I made a very satisfactory first trip to the island, later visiting Athens and Ankara, the capitals of two of the guarantor powers. As we communicated there, the objective was to make the first contact with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders and listen to civil society actors, former negotiators, representatives of the internat
ional community, young people, academics, and other experts’, she said in her introductory remarks.
Holguin added that ‘diverse perspectives have enriched my understanding of the situation’s complexity and there are many critical voices that I want to continue to listen to.’
She said her ‘next trip will begin in London the first week of March to complete the round of contacts with the guarantor powers. Then I will return to Cyprus where I hope to meet with leaders of political parties, representatives of social sectors, chambers of commerce, and economic sectors., in addition to talking again with Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot leaders.’
In this initial phase, she noted, “the search for common ground requires an exercise in attentive listening that allows for generating new questions in the conversation with decision-makers.”
Naturally, Holguin said, ‘the cards are being put on the table, as in any conflict. The level of frustration felt by many, accumulated after several attempts at negotiation is pe
rfectly understandable, therefore it is crucial to build trust, which has been seriously lacking, as a basic condition to build a future.”
A great help, she added, “is to avoid speculation, so I thank the media for their understanding and patience, and I commit to sharing everything that is prudent and possible. I am doing this work with the greatest enthusiasm and commitment.’
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency