Holguin's last dance

Maria Angela Holguin, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is expected to visit the island at the end of this month. Citing Politis, the report says she plans to stay about a week to meet the two leaders separately, and a trilateral meeting with the leaders is also being sought if possible.

The newspaper said the visit will probably be her last, because the term of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends in December. Citing sources, it reported that renewal of Holguin's mandate is unlikely unless there is a genuine will to make progress. Holguin is expected to begin writing her mission report at the end of November and submit it to Guterres.

The leaders have met four times since the Secretary-General's visit without significant progress on confidence-building measures, methodology or substance. Last Tuesday, the leaders held a good meeting on certain confidence-building measures but failed to reach an important agreement. The report also recalled that Holguin had planned to visit in September, before the UN General Assembly, but cancelled that trip due to a health problem.