New Cyprus talks begin in Geneva with low expectations for progress

Talks aimed at resolving the long-standing division of Cyprus have resumed in Geneva, with UN Secretary General António Guterres personally leading efforts to bring Greek and Turkish Cypriots closer together.

These are the first negotiations since 2021. Cypriot leaders as well as representatives from guarantor powers Britain, Greece and Turkey are taking part.

The United Nations has tempered expectations for substantial progress, stating that the goal of the one-day informal talks is only to kickstart concrete negotiations to address the island's division.

Divided for more than 50 years

The island has been split into a Greek-Cypriot south and a smaller Turkish-Cypriot north since a Greek coup and a Turkish military intervention in 1974. Only Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus as a full state.

The 180-kilometre-long buffer zone between the two sides is monitored by UN peacekeepers. Nicosia remains the world’s only divided capital.

While the whole of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004, EU law is only valid in the southern part until a possible reunification.

UN-backed efforts aimed at ending Cyprus's decades-old conflict have taken place on-and-off for years with little progress to show.

Greek Cypriots and the UN advocate for reunification, while Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership push for a two-state solution.