President Nikos Christodoulides is currently in New York for an informal dinner with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

During this meeting, Christodoulides plans to inform Guterres about the MED9 Summit held in Cyprus on October 11, which focused on crisis de-escalation strategies and was attended by the King of Jordan.

The leaders also discussed an upcoming tripartite meeting scheduled for October 15, 2024, involving Tatar and Guterres.

Christodoulides reiterated that the current status quo is not a solution and expressed readiness to resume negotiations.

The left-wing opposition party Akel praised Guterres' efforts, emphasizing the importance of ongoing discussions to break the current deadlock.

Guterres has encouraged both leaders to work towards bridging their differences and rebuilding trust to facilitate a settlement.

A solution to the Cyprus issue is sought based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.

The Cyprus issue remains a significant point of contention in the eastern Mediterranean, with the island divided since Turkey's 1974 invasion.

Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossing points between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Despite the significant gap between the two sides' positions, Guterres expressed cautious optimism about finding common ground.

The leaders were expected to agree that the tripartite meeting would not be the final attempt at dialogue and could lead to further discussions.

Christodoulides affirmed that any future agreement regarding Cyprus must involve cooperation between two states.