The UN chief’s visit to Cyprus in a few hours aims at “encouraging the people and leaders of the island to proceed to negotiations” that will lead to a Cyprus settlement, UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin said on Monday after meeting President Nikos Christodoulides.

Holguin said secretary-general Antonio Guterres would be arriving in Cyprus on Monday evening and that her meetings during the day wit Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman were to “prepare for the visit”.

“For almost ten years, the secretary-general is promoting and supporting efforts” to solve the Cyprus problem, Holguin pointed out and expressed hope that “we will be able to make some progress.”

Holguin said he had previously visited Brussels and Ankara, where she had “good meetings and discussed all necessary issues that must move forward so that there is progress”.