United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Wednesday his intention to convene new talks aimed at resolving the longstanding Cyprus conflict. The proposed negotiations would bring together the leaders of the divided island and the three guarantor powers of the 1960 Cyprus Treaty. While no specific date has been set, Guterres emphasized that the timing would depend on "adequate preparation," including advancements in confidence-building measures between the parties.

Guterres made the announcement following a series of bilateral and trilateral meetings with the rival Cypriot leaders. He confirmed that both sides, along with the guarantors, have agreed to proceed with a so-called "5-plus-1" format—comprising the two Cypriot leaders, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, plus the United Nations as a mediator. However, he stressed the importance of progress before convening the meeting, indicating a desire to avoid further cycles of talks that produce little tangible outcome.

The president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who leads the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot-majority government, welcomed the UN chief’s initiative. Christodoulides expressed optimism, noting that it was the first occasion since 2017—when previous peace efforts collapsed—that substantive discussions about the Cyprus issue had taken place.

Guterres did not specify a timeline for the meeting but pledged that the UN and involved parties would work as expeditiously as possible. Addressing the wider diplomatic context, he mentioned the European Union’s readiness to engage more deeply in negotiating areas where progress has been limited, as well as its desire to improve relations with Turkey.

The Cyprus dispute has persisted for nearly five decades, following the division of the island in 1974 when Turkish forces intervened amid a coup aimed at union with Greece. Since then, the northern part of the island has been administered by a self-declared Turkish Cypriot administration, recognized only by Turkey, while the southern area remains under the Republic of Cyprus. Multiple rounds of peace talks facilitated by the UN have failed to yield a lasting settlement, underscoring the significance of renewed diplomatic efforts.