There will be another meeting with the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, within the coming days, President, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Monday, after his meeting with Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, at the Presidential Palace.

Holguin, in her own statements, said that they had “a very good meeting” and that plenty of ideas were heard, noting that this week was important for her because she is to hold meetings with political parties, media representatives, and the Chamber of Commerce.

According to Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, who made statements after the meeting, Holguin briefed President Christodoulides about her contacts in Athens, Ankara and London, and that, during the meeting, there was an exchange of views, about the methods, and the next steps in order to achieve the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework. He also said that, apart from public statements from London, nothing has been conveyed by Holguin, as regards the guarantors’ positions.

The Spokesperson noted that Holguin will be in Cyprus until Sunday, and that the President of the Republic conveyed to her, once again, the position that staying for more days “would be beneficial” since they could hold even more meetings, to achieve the resumption of negotiations.

“We had a very good meeting and plenty of ideas, I think”, Holguin said after the meeting. She added that this week was important to her, because she is going to meet with the political parties, media representatives, such as editors and journalists, “and I think it’s going to be a very interesting meeting for the situation in Cyprus”, she noted.

Holguin said she was to also meet with the Chamber of Commerce, “because the trade is important”, she said, adding that this week, she was going to have “this part of the picture”.

She also said that she came to Cyprus after contacts with the three guarantor powers, in Ankara, London, and Athens, and that “there were very good meetings” and that she informed her interlocutors about how she sees the situation. She noted that she continues to work with all her energy.

To a journalist’s question about positive signs so far, if any, she said that the sides were “willing to explore”, noting that this was “a good thing”.

President Christodoulides, asked by journalists if any ideas had been discussed at this meeting, he said “we were briefed about her contacts and there will be a new meeting”.

“We have conveyed our own readiness for the resumption of the negotiations as soon as possible”, Letymbiotis said in his statements, after the meeting. “We are ready for negotiations to begin even tomorrow, within the agreed framework from where they have been interrupted”, he said. “What matters”, he noted, “is that we are all bound by the UN Security Council resolutions”.

Asked if Holguin has discussed the methodology she will follow from now on in order to get the discussion on a more substantial basis, Letymbiotis said that this discussion has taken place and noted that the UNSG personal envoy is to also hold other meetings this week, which she considers to be useful, as she has mentioned.

Letymbiotis also said that they knew from the beginning, “the difficulties and challenges we would face in this effort”, adding that the public positions were known. “At the same time, however, we are faithful to and insist on the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework”, he added.

Asked if Holguin has conveyed any prodding on behalf of the guarantor powers, the Spokesperson said that there have been no proddings. “What she has conveyed to us, is Athen’s declared support for our efforts for the restart of the negotiations within the agreed framework”, he said, noting that, other than the public positions expressed from London, Holguin has not conveyed anything.

Earlier in the day, Holguin met with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar.

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.

In January UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Holguin 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.