Expanded Cyprus Summit Continues in Geneva: Day One Highlights

The expanded summit on the Cyprus issue is still ongoing in Geneva. The meetings, organized by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, resumed at 10:00 and are scheduled to run until 18:00.

The negotiations are being attended by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, and the UK's Minister for Europe and North America, Stephen Doughty. Today's sessions are focused on preparing the ground for a fruitful exchange of views between the parties.

Throughout the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to continue with bilateral discussions before leading the expanded talks later on.

On the first day of the "5+1" summit, the UN Secretary-General hosted a dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel for the heads of delegation. The leaders of both Cypriot communities, along with their negotiators, were present at this event.

After the dinner, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Nikos Christodoulides for a 20-minute conversation. This meeting is considered a significant step in fostering future dialogue between the sides.

Before the talks began in Geneva, Ersin Tatar emphasized their commitment to vigorously defending the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, adding that the direction of the process would largely depend on the Greek side's approach.

After the summit dinner, Ersin Tatar reiterated the importance of cooperation, stating, "The mission of this meeting is cooperation. Let's leave the past behind and look to the future."

Additionally, today, an informal "5+1" meeting will take place at the UN's Palais des Nations in Geneva, with all parties involved. Each head of delegation will be accompanied by five team members.

The meeting will begin with an opening speech by the UN Secretary-General, followed by remarks from the heads of the delegations.