U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on a rare visit to Cyprus said Tuesday he was demonstrating his commitment to resolving the island nation’s decades-old ethnic division, even as expectations remain low for a speedy breakthrough leading to a peace accord, the Associated Press reports.
“I will do everything I can to support the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in this very important moment,” Guterres said after talks with Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
The U.N. chief also met with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and was scheduled to hold joint meetings with both later Tuesday and Wednesday.
The first visit by a U.N. chief in 16 years came during renewed efforts to resume formal peace talks after a nearly decade-long hiatus. The last major push, which Guterres mediated in 2017, collapsed in recriminations over who and what was to blame for the impasse.
