Talks with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, are very substantial, President Nikos Christodoulidis said on Friday evening.

Answering journalists’ questions during an event in Limassol, he underlined that with Holguin “we had a substantial discussion. It was a very good meeting, and at this stage what counts is less words and more work.”

He added that Holguin was on track and could help resume the talks where they left off.

“I told her during our first meeting that Cypriot people, the vast majority of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots wish for the reunification of our homeland.”

Christodoulides underlined that public statements were not the way forward in solving the Cyprus problem, but rather through hard work.

“This is what I said before and the envoy also said it aptly on the first day. More work and fewer statements. When something needs to be said publicly, you can be sure that we will do it.”

Holguin also met with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar earlier in the day where he stressed that for talks to start, sovereign equality and equal international status must be affirmed.