Holguín urges leaders to turn political will into action

In a statement to ANKA journalist Yusuf Kanlı, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus said agreeing how negotiations should be conducted would not require either side to abandon its positions on a settlement.

“Agreeing on a procedure does not mean renouncing any position or changing the vision that either party holds on the substantive issues,” she said.

Holguín said the UN had invited the leaders and their negotiators to discuss negotiating methodology during their weekly meetings, stressing that clear procedural rules were fundamental to the prospects of success.

Such arrangements could cover confidentiality, public communication, the early implementation of certain agreements and the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

She questioned how the sides could overcome decades of division when, over the past two years, they had been unable to agree on a crossing point, demining or joint action against plastic pollution.

Implementing confidence-building measures would help establish trust and demonstrate political will through concrete results, she said, warning that the distance between the communities was growing.

Holguín also confirmed that the UN had compiled earlier negotiating convergences for presentation when formal talks resume. Both sides already held the relevant documents, she noted.

The decision to restart negotiations rested with the leaders, she stressed, while pledging to continue her efforts until the final day of her mandate.

After two years of visits and discussions with people from both communities, Holguín said she remained convinced that a comprehensive agreement was possible.