UN Chief Hails Progress on Cyprus CBM, Urges Further Action

Both President Nicos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar participated in the meeting, alongside the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, and the UK’s Minister of State for Europe, representing the island’s guarantor powers.

Guterres welcomed progress on four out of six initiatives agreed upon in March: the establishment of a technical committee on youth, joint environmental and climate initiatives, restoration of cemeteries, and a demining agreement pending final technical arrangements. Work continues on two pending issues: opening four new crossing points and developing solar energy initiatives in the buffer zone.

Additionally, new areas of cooperation were agreed, including creating a civil society consultative body, exchanging cultural artifacts, air quality monitoring, and tackling microplastic pollution.

“These are not symbolic gestures,” Guterres emphasized. “They are practical steps that benefit all Cypriots and require cooperation.”

He announced a planned joint meeting with both leaders during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week and another informal meeting later in the year.

In a brief Q&A session, Guterres acknowledged that while progress had been made on new crossing points, technical issues—specifically related to the route of one crossing—remain unresolved. When asked if this marked the beginning of renewed negotiations, he said it was “a process” aimed at building trust, with consensus that efforts must continue.

“I would like much more,” he admitted, “but this is a complex issue, and I believe we’ve made progress worth registering.”

Responding to a separate question on Syria, Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s stance on maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while stressing the importance of ensuring full inclusion and respect for all communities.