A letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will be sent next week by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades while UNSG’s Special Envoy, Jane Hall Lute is expected around the middle of this month in the island and the informal five-party conference on the Cyprus issue to be held within the next month.
 
According to reliable CNA sources, in his letter to Antonio Guterres, President Anastasiades will express his readiness for him to convene an informal five-party conference and “will propose confidence-building measures that will break the deadlock in certain issues and create a better climate.”
 
Nicosia is expecting to hear from the UN on the exact date and the agenda of Lute’s visit in Cyprus.
 
Asked if the informal five-year-old could be delayed due to the pandemic, the same source said that they do not know, adding that it will depend on Lute`s new round of contacts.
 
It is also noted that the UNSG’s reports on the peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and his good offices mission are expected to be submitted to the UN Security Council around January 10. Before this date SG’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, is expected to hold separate consultations with Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on these reports.
 
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest UN backed round of talks took place in 2017, n the Swiss resort of Crans Montana, but failed to yield any results.
 
Comprising military and civilian personnel from various contributing countries, UNFICYP arrived in Cyprus in March 1964 after intercommunal fighting broke out. The mandate of the force is renewed every six months by the UN Security Council.