United Nations Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo assured Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides of the Secretary General’s strong commitment to work with the parties in Cyprus for the upcoming meeting in Geneva, the date of which will be announced shortly.

In statements to the press after meeting President Christodoulides, DiCarlo said she “had a very constructive conversation with the Greek Cypriot leader Mr Christodoulides” where the two “discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting in Geneva next month”.

“I assured him of the SG’s strong commitment to work with the parties on this issue going forward”, she added.

DiCarlo also said she met earlier Monday with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and will also be meeting with a group of women’s representatives “who are very engaged in the peace process and have been engaged over the years”.

She also reminded that later in the evening she would have “dinner with the negotiators from both sides”.

Asked about the date for the Geneva meeting, DiCArlo replied, “we will be announcing that shortly”.

At 1500, she will have a meeting with the Women’s Bicommunal Coalition group and later this evening private dinner with negotiators Menelaos Menelaou and Gunes Onar.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.