Activities of Secretary-General in Switzerland, 30 June

On 30 June, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Switzerland from Washington, D.C., to participate in the Conference on Cyprus which was held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, from 28 June to 6 July.

The Secretary General opened the plenary session of the Conference on Cyprus, which saw the participation of the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akıncı, and the representatives of the guarantor Powers, Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.  The European Union also attended as an observer.  The Secretary-General was accompanied by Espen Barth Eide, his Special Adviser on Cyprus, and Elizabeth Spehar, Deputy Special Adviser.

Speaking to the press, the Secretary-General paid tribute to Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akıncı, as well as to the three guarantor Powers — Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom — for their determination and commitment to the process, and to the European Union for its ongoing support.  He noted that the reconvening of this Conference offered an historic opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement to the conflict that has divided Cyprus for too many decades, but he also acknowledged that some sensitive and difficult issues remain to be resolved, particularly on the security and guarantees chapter.  And he finally urged all parties to continue to engage in these critical negotiations with the same constructive and creative spirit that they had displayed so far, taking the bold decisions that were still needed to find common ground.

Mr. Guterres travelled from Switzerland to Portugal, where he would address the Tidewater Conference on Monday, 3 July.