United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on January 5 the appointment of María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, former Foreign Minister of Colombia, as the new UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus.
The Secretary-General has asked Ms Holguín to assume a good office role on his behalf to search for common ground on the way forward and to advise him on the Cyprus issue.
Ms Holguín brings extensive diplomatic experience at the highest levels, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia (2010-2018). She also served as a delegate of the President of Colombia in her country’s peace process negotiation in Havana, Cuba (2015-2016) and was a member of the Cabinet for Post-Conflict (2017-2018). Her previous diplomatic posts include the position of Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations, Ambassador to Venezuela and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ms. Holguín holds a degree in political science from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá. She also studied at the Centre d´Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques and the Université Paris–Sorbonne in Paris. In addition to Spanish, she speaks English and French.
The EU welcomes the new Personal Envoy
The European Union welcomed the nomination of María Ángela Holguín Cuellar.
In a Joint Statement, High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner Elisa Ferreira noted that the appointment is instrumental in providing critical support in the search for common ground to return to formal negotiations for a lasting settlement in Cyprus. This process has not progressed since the talks held in Crans Montana, in 2017.
“The EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded and the acquis,” highlights the Joint Statement.
“The EU stands ready to play an active role in supporting all stages of the UN-facilitated process, with all appropriate means at its disposal.
In the current geopolitical context, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, where common interests and opportunities can foster cooperation and joint approaches, is more important than ever”.
The UN Security Council plans to meet with troop-contributing countries of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on Wednesday. Special Representative and head of UNFICYP Colin Stewart is the anticipated briefer.
