The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin is due to visit London and Brussels to continue diplomatic groundwork ahead of the expanded conference on the Cyprus problem to be held in New York in July.

On July 1, Holguin is set to meet British Minister of State for Europe Stephen Doughty in London.

The following day, she is set to hold talks with the European Commission’s special envoy on the Cyprus issue Johannes Hahn in Brussels.

Meanwhile, according to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), preparations to set a date for the expanded conference in New York are underway.

Although no final date has yet been confirmed for the New York conference, it is said to take place in the second half of July.

President Nikos Christodoulides has called a meeting of the National Council for July 3 to update party leaders on the latest developments and ongoing preparations, amid speculation about the structure of the next round of UN-led talks.

Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou on Saturday spoke to the committee of occupied communities and the associations of displaced communities of Famagusta, Nicosia and Kyrenia, informing them about the latest developments. 

Menelaou said the Greek Cypriot side aimed “to lead us to the point where it will be possible to restart a political process.”

He assured those present that “steps that have been taken recently are in the right direction” for initiating a process of talks, and by extension, through this, to revive the prospect of achieving an agreed solution.

“We want a solution to the Cyprus issue,” he concluded, “non-solution is not a solution.”