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Olgin Begins Contacts – Stumbles on Erhurman's Refusal to Cooperate for Start of Negotiations

Published January 26, 2026, 05:08
Olgin Begins Contacts – Stumbles on Erhurman's Refusal to Cooperate for Start of Negotiations

The week is expected to be full of developments in the Cyprus issue, with a focus on the contacts of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Olgin, on the island and in New York. The main challenge is to persuade the Turkish Cypriot leader, Erhurman, to agree on steps to restart negotiations, beyond confidence-building measures. Erhurman is constantly setting conditions for convening a new informal multilateral meeting. Olgin will meet with the two leaders and their negotiators, and a trilateral meeting is also expected. At the same time, the UN Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of UNFICYP for another year.