An extensive discussion into how the negotiators see the Cyprus problem evolving was held at a meeting on Friday with the UN chief’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin.

The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot negotiators, Menelaos Menelaou and Gunes Onar respectively, met with Holguin at Ledra Palace in the buffer zone.

According to Cyprus News Agency sources, the Turkish Cypriot side did not budge from its positions.

Confidence-building measures were also discussed at the meeting.

The UN chief’s envoy is in Cyprus until Saturday, when she will depart for meetings of representatives of Cyprus’ guarantor states, namely Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Holguin is seeking to achieve results by the end of July when the next expanded meeting has been programmed under UN leadership.

Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, spokesman Stephane Dujarric earlier said Holguin will remain in Cyprus until May 31. During her meetings with Christodoulides and Tatar to date, she had listened to the leaders’ concerns and reviewed the set of confidence-building initiatives, agreed by the parties during their meeting in Geneva last March.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17 and 18.

In early May, the UN chief announced the appointment of Holguin as his personal envoy on Cyprus, who is tasked to reengage with the parties in order to work on next steps on the Cyprus issue and advise him. Holguin completed a previous assignment as personal envoy from January to July 2024.

The European Commission designated Johannes Hahn, a former European Commissioner, as Special Envoy for Cyprus to contribute to the settlement process, in close cooperation with Holguin.