Rival Cyprus leaders agree to meet weekly after UN chief’s visit

Following a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus in July, the island's rival leaders have agreed to meet weekly to advance the long-stalled reunification talks. The first face-to-face meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and Tufan Erhurman, the pro-unification leader of the Turkish-speaking north, took place in the UN-controlled buffer zone.

Guterres emphasized the importance of intensifying their discussions and meeting more frequently if needed. The leaders agreed to step up their preparations for the long-stalled talks, with a brief UN statement highlighting their constructive dialogue. Guterres had previously called for new talks on ending the half-century-long Cyprus conflict, involving the island's leaders and the three guarantor powers: Greece, Turkey, and Britain.

However, he insisted that the summit should not be held without sufficient preparation to build confidence. Guterres, who leaves office at the end of the year, was the first UN secretary-general to visit Cyprus since 2010. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking unification with Greece.