Cyprus: Joint Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner Elisa Ferreira on the appointment by the UNSG of new Personal Envoy on Cyprus

The European Union welcomes the nomination of María Ángela Holguín Cuellar, former Foreign Minister of Colombia, as new UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus.

This appointment is instrumental in providing critical support in the search for common ground with the goal of returning to formal negotiations for a lasting settlement in Cyprus, a process that has not progressed since the talks held in Crans Montana, in 2017. 

The EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded and the acquis.

The EU stands ready to play an active role in supporting all stages of the UN-facilitated process, with all appropriate means at its disposal.

In the current geopolitical context, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, where common interests and opportunities can foster cooperation and joint approaches, is more important than ever.