In an interview with the Cypriot television channel Alpha TV on Tuesday evening, Christodoulides said he had been informed that Guterres was encouraged by the talks he held with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in March.

“We may be close to developments that could lead to a peace plan,” the Cypriot leader emphasized.

Christodoulides noted that intensive behind-the-scenes consultations are currently underway, covering both the Cyprus issue and energy projects in the Eastern Mediterranean. He suggested that concrete progress could occur as early as 2026 or even sooner, before the end of the UN Secretary-General’s mandate.

Among the next steps, he mentioned the possible holding of a new informal multilateral conference on Cyprus this summer, as well as a visit by the UN Secretary-General’s personal representative, María Ángela Holguín, to the island in June.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern part of the island following a Greek-backed military coup. The island remains split between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south, governed by Greek Cypriots, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the north, which is recognized only by Ankara. A UN-patrolled buffer zone lies between them.

The last serious negotiations on reunification under a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation model collapsed in 2017. In 2004, Greek Cypriots rejected the UN’s Annan Plan, believing it did not provide sufficient guarantees on security and property rights for displaced persons.

Despite previous failures, Nicosia continues to support the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation formula and links progress on the Cyprus issue with Turkey’s relations with the European Union.

Regarding energy, Christodoulides reported that negotiations with ENI and Total are progressing positively, and a decision on exporting natural gas via Egypt to Europe is expected in the coming weeks. New talks with ExxonMobil on already granted and potentially new licenses are also planned within the next two weeks.

These economic prospects could provide additional momentum for reviving the long-stalled political dialogue on the Cyprus issue.

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