United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Cyprus from July 27 to 29, marking the first such visit by a UN chief in 16 years. The trip aims to breathe new life into the long-stalled peace process on the divided island.

The visit coincides with the 52nd anniversary of Turkey's 1974 invasion, which split the island into Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sectors. The Cyprus dispute remains one of the world's most protracted unresolved conflicts.

Guterres is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Republic of Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman. On July 29, the two leaders are expected to meet jointly with the UN chief at the residence of the UN Special Representative in the UN-controlled buffer zone.

The renewed UN initiative follows an informal expanded meeting on Cyprus held in Geneva in March. The secretary-general's personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, has since conducted consultations in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Brussels to assess conditions for resuming meaningful negotiations.

Diplomatic sources suggest the most likely outcome of Guterres' visit is the announcement of a new informal expanded meeting involving leaders of both Cypriot communities, representatives of Greece, Turkey, and the UK (the three guarantor powers), and the UN. Such a meeting could take place in late August or early September.

Unlike previous efforts, the UN is reportedly seeking a more structured process with a clearer sequence of steps and a defined timeframe. Analysts note that the election of Tufan Erhurman, who supports a bizonal, bicommunal federation, has created new diplomatic space, though Turkey's official position remains unchanged and key disagreements persist over security guarantees, political equality, and the presence of Turkish troops.

Source: www.dw.com