Nicosia, Cyprus – The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres says he stands ready to assist in the reunification of Cyprus, as he met separately with the Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman on his first visit.
Pledging commitment to sustainable peace and efforts to restart negotiations over Cyprus at a press conference, Guterres said the island ought to retain its remarkable history, rich culture, and enduring resilience.
Diplomatic failures have existed since the 1974 slip and the scars where a Greek-backed military coup prompted a military intervention by Turkey. 
Guterres has urged for the spark among Cypriots to build a more peaceful and shared future not to die, expressing solidarity with the people of Cyprus in their quest for a solution.
“As Secretary-General, from the earliest days of my mandate, acting in line with the United Nations parameters, I have sought, through my good offices, to assist Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their efforts to reach a comprehensive, sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue. The United Nations has consistently worked toward this objective,” he said.
Guterres placed trust in his personal envoy, Ms Maria Angela Holguin’s, efforts in working with all the parties involved while not losing hope on scaling up these efforts on top of what the UN has done in the past.
The UN-backed meetings over the Cyprus issue occurred in Geneva and in Crans-Montana in 2017; Berlin, Germany, in 2019; again in Geneva in 2021, 2024 and 2025; and also in New York.
Guterres urged Christodoulides and Erhürman to intensify reunification efforts, stating that the time to rebuild trust was the current one. “To that end, it is essential to redouble efforts to define and implement confidence-building measures that can make a difference in the daily lives of all Cypriots.
“They want to see their leaders make compromises and walk that last mile toward a settlement of the Cyprus issue. They want a future in which this island is defined not by division but by cooperation, opportunity, and peace,” he said.
The secretary-general said in the spirit of frank discussions with Erhürman and Christodoulides, he was assured of the determination to continue to work with the envoy.
“Based on our discussions on the way forward, I decided that I would convene another 5+1 meeting after adequate preparations on confidence building, methodology and substance, taking into account the convergences already achieved. We will work in consultation with the two sides and the guarantors to create the conditions for the meeting’s success,” he said.
Since the UN peacekeeping operations in Cyprus through the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the 180 km buffer zone and the UN-delineated ceasefire lines have been maintained, with international diplomacy efforts continuing on the side.
Guterres admired this, stating, “For more than six decades, UNFICYP has helped maintain calm and stability in a sensitive environment,” but quickly urged cooperation from all sides.
He also shared how he was impressed by the work of the Committee on Missing Persons and the remarkable bicommunal efforts to respond to the anxiety of the families of all missing persons, as well as the bicommunal technical committees that are bridging the gap between the political track and everyday citizens and finding practical solutions.
Guterres has also engaged with members of civil society and the international community, particularly the continued support of the guarantors – Greece, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.
He ended his speech by stating that the UN cannot impose peace.
“But let me be very clear: the United Nations remains fully committed to supporting the people of Cyprus in this crucial moment for the island and the wider region,” Guterres said.
