President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday that we will possibly have some developments as regards the Cyprus issue in August or beginning of September.

The President met today with the heads of diplomatic missions of the Republic of Cyprus abroad, at the Presidential Palace, and he briefed them on Cyprus talks and policies of the Republic in a range of issues.

A statement from the Presidency says that addressing the ambassadors at the beginning of the meeting, the President said that an effort is underway, on our initiative, to resume the talks, adding that we will soon have developments possibly within August-beginning of September. “We are ready”, he said.

President Christodoulides also referred to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026 and said that preparations are underway.

He said that the MED9 Presidency is also ahead, during which ministerial meetings and the Summit of Heads of State will take place in Cyprus.

As regards the Amalthea initiative for humanitarian aid to Gaza the President said that this is also underway, describing it as a particularly important issue, because it indicates in practice a goal that we have been trying to highlight in recent years.

He also told the Ambassadors that discussions are underway as regards the composition of the new European Commission, adding that the Head of the EC has suggested some new portfolios that are also related to our own effort.

The President noted that “our discussion today will be substantial”.

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.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed last January María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.