Guterres to travel to Cyprus to advance peace efforts, UN says

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to divided Cyprus at the end of July to discuss peacebuilding efforts between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, a U.N. spokesperson said on Thursday.



The visit comes against the backdrop of growing speculation the United Nations will launch a fresh push to resolve the decades-old split of Cyprus before his term expires at the end of the year.



Guterres was due to meet with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot community leaders during his visit from July 27 to 29, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, underlining his "strong demonstrated commitment to the Cyprus issue".



"He will meet with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as other stakeholders, and discuss efforts to advance the peace process and support stability on the island, including through the work of the U.N. peacekeeping mission on the ground there, UNFICYP," Dujarric said.



A diplomatic source in Nicosia said the itinerary included a joint meeting with the two leaders in a U.N.-administered buffer zone which has separated the two communities for decades.