Holguín: No 5+1 Conference Without Progress In Nicosia

Speaking to ANKA following her latest contacts in Nicosia, Holguín said the pace of the process is undeniably slow but continuing and should not be misinterpreted as stagnation. “What matters now is achieving results. This is a pre-negotiation phase,” she said, adding that “continuous and direct dialogue” is necessary for the two leaders to express their “views, concerns and hopes.”

Holguín met separately with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and then participated in a trilateral meeting. Referring to her statements after that meeting, she said every diplomatic process has its own dynamics and that the Cyprus talks currently fall into the category of a slow but ongoing process.

“What I told the press was that every process has its own dynamics and that this is a slow process. It is dynamic. It is moving slowly, but we are making progress,” Holguín said.

She underlined the importance of maintaining contact and exchanging views even in the absence of immediate tangible results, noting that continuous engagement helps preserve dialogue, prevents further erosion of trust and keeps the process alive after years of failed negotiation cycles.

Holguín said confidence-building measures are indispensable if the process is to move beyond preliminary contacts toward meaningful negotiations. Such measures, she stressed, are not symbolic gestures but a necessary foundation for building trust and creating conditions for negotiations with a realistic chance of success.

“No 5+1 Meeting Without Progress In Nicosia”

Holguín also clarified issues related to the proposed 5+1 meeting under UN auspices involving the two sides in Cyprus, the United Nations and the three guarantor powers — Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Rejecting claims that UN Secretary-General António Guterres had sent a message expressing frustration over the pace of talks or warning that an expanded meeting would not take place, Holguín said: “I am the personal envoy. I represent the Secretary-General. I did not convey such a message.” However, she added that the core assessment remained unchanged.

“It is true that there will be no call for a 5+1 meeting unless there is progress in Nicosia,” she said.

Holguín noted that the leaders exchanged views on how to move toward substantive negotiations and reviewed the status of confidence-building measures. While some progress had been made, she stressed that it was insufficient.

“No Noteworthy Progress”

“There has been no noteworthy progress,” Holguín said, adding that her priority is to push the sides to take more concrete steps on confidence-building measures.

Pointing to crossing points and other practical arrangements that directly affect daily life, Holguín said these areas are the clearest and fastest test of political will. “These are concrete confidence-building measures,” she said, referring to steps that would ease daily life, increase contacts between the two communities and strengthen mutual trust.

She added that the leaders must demonstrate to their respective societies that there is a real and tangible transition from conflict to cooperation in order to lend legitimacy to the negotiation process.

Holguín stressed that such measures are not secondary but decisive in the UN’s assessment of whether the process can move to a higher level. “So far, we have not seen sufficient movement,” she said, warning that expanding the format of talks would be premature without concrete results.

“Concrete Steps Expected Before Next Visit”

Asked when she plans her next visit to Cyprus and whether another round of bilateral or trilateral meetings will take place, Holguín said the leaders had agreed to meet periodically even in her absence and that both sides’ teams would continue working on unresolved issues.

She said she hoped to see real and meaningful progress in the short term but underlined that, in any case, she wanted to see concrete developments on confidence-building measures on the ground before returning to the island.

During the trilateral meeting, Holguín confirmed that Christodoulides had presented a five-point proposal including confidence-building measures as well as additional steps linked to a broader political sequence, including the opening of new crossing points. She did not comment on the substance of the proposal, stating only that it had been presented and discussed together with the Turkish Cypriot side’s views on methodology and sequencing.

“Conditions Are Not Ripe For A 5+1 Meeting”

Holguín took a firm stance on the conditions required for convening an expanded meeting, saying: “Without concrete progress, it is very difficult to hold a 5+1 meeting. At this stage, I will definitely not convene an expanded meeting. Conditions are not ripe.”

She added, however, that the 5+1 framework had not been abandoned. “The 5+1 table has not disappeared,” she said, noting that it could be considered once “conditions mature.”

Holguín said that following Erhürman’s proposal, the leaders agreed to meet periodically even without her presence. More frequent direct contact, she said, would strengthen mutual trust and understanding and help both sides better grasp each other’s sensitivities, background thinking, expectations and concerns.

“This foundation of understanding is indispensable for the process to move forward,” she said.

The UN Special Envoy added that she would continue consultations with both leaders and other stakeholders in order to turn dialogue into concrete results. “What matters now is achieving results. Confidence-building measures are crucial,” she said, adding that expectations for a broader international conference should be kept under strict control until such progress is achieved.