The negotiating acquis is our guiding compass

14 June 2026, HARAVGI newspaper

Statements by Stavri Kalopsidiotou, Head of the Cyprus Problem Office of AKEL, International Law Expert, and Member of the Central Committee of AKEL

 

The assessment we have made as AKEL regarding the critical nature of the new round of meetings of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus has been confirmed. The convening of an enlarged conference in the very near future, with a clear focus on discussing the substance of the Cyprus problem—moving beyond the recurring difficulties surrounding the conclusion of Confidence Building Measures (CBM’s)—is redefining the political landscape. For the first time after nine years of deadlock in the negotiations, it appears that a prospect is opening up for a substantive rapprochement between the sides, with the aim of resuming negotiations.

In a few months, the term of the UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres, who is well-versed on the Cyprus problem, will have come to an end. The geopolitical realignments that are taking place across the world and the undermining of international law as a means of balancing interests and rights are challenges that the new person at the helm of the United Nations will be called upon to address. If the significant window of opportunity that has opened up regarding the Cyprus problem remains closed, the partitionist status quo will continue to deepen, with unpredictable consequences.

For some time now, AKEL has been stressing that the conditions for a resumption of a substantive dialogue from the point at which it was interrupted at Crans-Montana are now in place. It is widely acknowledged that the leaders of the two communities have expressed their commitment to this direction through public statements, even going so far as to issue a joint declaration reaffirming the principle of political equality—and thus the basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem (Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation).

It is now an absolute necessity for the sides to engage in a thorough preparation, adopting a roadmap with specific negotiation stages and clear objectives that safeguard the negotiations acquis, the convergences that have been recorded, and the Guterres Framework, while respecting the sensitivities of both communities.

We must actively avoid contradictions that distance us from the strategic goal. The intentions of the parties will be judged by what transpires in the coming weeks, and the outcome will depend on their political will.