At Guterres' request, Turkey and EU to discuss Cyprus issue

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides announced that a high-level meeting between the European Union and Turkey will be held before the end of October. Speaking in Brussels on the second day of the European Council summit, he said the meeting will take place at the request of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He said he received this information after contacts in New York and expressed satisfaction with the decision.

According to Christodoulides, two main agenda items will be discussed: efforts to restart negotiations on the Cyprus issue and progress in EU-Turkey relations. He argued that progress in EU-Turkey relations depends on the resumption of Cyprus negotiations within the agreed framework. He also said the EU should play a more active and leading role, welcoming the summer appointment of Raffaele Fitto as special representative for Cyprus.

The report also noted that relations between the two sides have been strained since the summer. According to Cyprus Mail, citing diplomatic sources, the Cyprus Republic's Foreign Ministry asked some foreign diplomatic missions in August not to attend a briefing on Cyprus organised by Presidential Undersecretary Mehmet Dana. UN personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin, meanwhile, warned that the window of diplomatic opportunity is gradually closing.