Greek Cypriots give consent for new UN special representative
The Greek Cypriot side has given its consent to the United Nations for the appointment of a new special representative in Cyprus, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Saturday.
He told the Cyprus News Agency that the UN had proposed a name, and that this had been met with approval, while “the relevant announcements will be made by the UN”.
The Turkish Cypriot side was less than impressed by Letymbiotis’ announcement, however.
Turkish Cypriot diplomatic sources told the Cyprus Mail that “issuing any statement or making any announcement before the UN secretary-general [Antonio Guterres] would be contrary to diplomatic practice”.
“The main announcement will be issued by the secretary-general … [The Greek Cypriot side] is setting the stage to leak the information and the name before the secretary-general,” the sources said.
The new UN high representative, who will also serve as the head of the UN’s peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp), will replace Colin Stewart, who retired this week after having served in the post for four years.
Letymbiotis on Saturday had also said that the Greek Cypriot side wishes for UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin to visit the island before President Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, and Guterres hold a trilateral meeting in New York.
That meeting is set to take place during the UN’s “high-level week”, the week during which the 80th session of the UN general assembly is to be held, which has been set for the week commencing September 8.
Holguin most recently visited Cyprus last month, holding meetings with both Christodoulides and Tatar ahead of the most recent enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem, involving both Cyprus’ sides, its three guarantor powers, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, and the UN, which was held in New York.
That meeting ended with the promise of the planned trilateral meeting in September, and a further enlarged meeting to be held before the end of the year, though likely after the Turkish Cypriot leadership election, which is set to take place on October 19.