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The United Kingdom government’s commitment to a “just and viable solution” to the Cyprus issue is reaffirmed by the UK Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, in response to a letter from the National Federation of Cypriots in the United Kingdom addressed to the Prime Minister and signed by its President, Christos Karaolis.
Among other points, the British Minister of State stresses that resolving the Cyprus issue is the most effective way to address the consequences of the island’s division. Referring to the expanded meetings (5+1) held last year, he notes that “significant steps” were achieved and expresses hope for renewed momentum in the process under the auspices of the United Nations.
He underlines, however, that the resumption of substantive negotiations rests with the leaders of the two communities. At the same time, he points out that further progress on confidence-building measures is crucial in order to create the appropriate environment that would allow for the achievement of a comprehensive agreement.
The Minister makes particular reference to the visit of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Cyprus in early December, as well as to the trilateral meeting on 11 December between the two leaders and the Envoy. As noted, the two sides agreed that “the real objective is the resolution of the Cyprus problem with political equality, as described in the Resolutions of the UN Security Council.”
He assures that he will continue his active engagement with all parties, with the aim of encouraging the necessary flexibility to reach an agreement.
The letter concludes with thanks to the Cypriot diaspora for its continued expression of views and concerns regarding the Cyprus issue.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format that was expected to take place before the end of 2025, is yet to be announced.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.