UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday he will convene an informal expanded 5+1 meeting on Cyprus, seeking to create conditions for the resumption of stalled reunification talks on the divided island.
The announcement came after Guterres met in Nicosia with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
The format would include the two Cypriot sides and the three guarantor powers — Greece, Turkey and Britain — under UN auspices.
Guterres said he had secured agreement from the parties to move forward but gave no timetable.
He stressed that extensive preparation would be needed, including progress on confidence-building measures, negotiating procedures and the substance of the talks.
