Cyprus leaders meet to discuss confidence-building measures and peace talks
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman met on Monday at the residence of UN Special Representative Khassim Diagne in the UN buffer zone in Nicosia. The meeting lasted 90 minutes and was described by the UN as a constructive and positive discussion regarding substantive issues and the future of the Cyprus problem. Both leaders reviewed progress on various confidence-building measures, though they agreed not to publicly disclose specific details of which measures have advanced. They tasked their respective negotiators with finalizing the remaining issues ahead of their next meeting. The leaders are scheduled to meet again by the end of April to provide more concrete updates. President Christodoulides noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is working discreetly with all involved parties to resume formal peace negotiations. While local reports speculated on potential new formulas for negotiation, the official UN statement focused on the ongoing commitment of both sides to the UN-led process.