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Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhurman met Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Hristodulidis and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, according to the Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK).
The meeting took place at the residence of UN Special Representative and head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne, in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.
The talks began at around 11:00 a.m. local time and lasted nearly two hours.
In a joint written statement issued after the meeting, Cuellar underlined the importance of such meetings as a forum for expressing concerns and hopes, stressing that continuous and direct dialogue is essential at the pre-negotiation stage.
The statement said the leaders shared proposals aimed at outlining a forward-looking roadmap toward the start of substantive negotiations.
It added that work on various confidence-building measures was reviewed, along with progress achieved by both sides.
The parties agreed to continue efforts to reach consensus on confidence-building initiatives and to move toward launching formal negotiations.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Cuellar said a “5+1” expanded informal meeting would not take place for now, noting that the process remains at a pre-negotiation stage.
“The process is dynamic. It is slow, but we are moving forward,” Cuellar said, adding that being together and exchanging views is valuable even without immediate concrete results.
She described the meeting as a “good discussion” and said future meetings would depend on the leaders.
Cuellar noted that further progress is needed on confidence-building measures agreed in Geneva, citing issues such as halloumi and freedom of movement, which she said would be addressed within a month.
The meeting came as part of Cuellar’s four-day visit to the island. She had met separately with Hristodulidis a day earlier and previously held talks with Erhurman.
The TRNC Presidency said Erhurman would hold a press conference following the meeting.
Earlier, Erhurman’s office said constructive and goodwill-based steps are needed to create an environment conducive to a settlement and that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready for such efforts.
Cuellar and the leaders last met in the buffer zone on Dec. 11, 2025.
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