In New York, during the high-level segment of the General Assembly, I met the two leaders separately and accompanied the Secretary-General in his bilateral meetings with each leader. With Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, we met the two negotiators with the intention to review the CBMs that the two sides agreed to develop. These measures should contribute to building trust and give way to new initiatives.
During his visit to Cyprus, the Secretary-General reiterated his commitment to continue to support the parties in their search for a solution until the last day of his mandate, which ends in three months. In New York, the Secretary-General met separately with each leader and exchanged visions to overcome the challenges and be able to move forward. Although a trilateral meeting was not initially planned, the Greek Cypriot leader proposed to have one this week, but, at this moment, the Turkish Cypriot leader did not consider it.
In this context, in relation to the confidence-building measures agreed upon by both sides, the Secretary-General reiterated the urgency for the leaders to proceed with their implementation as a reflection of their ability to cooperate. Such cooperation, if achieved, would be a demonstration of their willingness to initiate a process towards a sustainable solution.
The UN has carried out the exercise of convergences, which will be available to the parties when they start negotiations. In addition, the UN will invite both sides to present their proposals on methodology. I will continue my facilitation efforts until the end of December and, in October, during my next visit to Cyprus, I will continue to encourage both parties to create the conducive environment required for the start of a new process.
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