Can UN chief's initiative kickstart resolution for Cyprus?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week became the first UN chief to visit Cyprus in 16 years .

While there, he met the leaders of the island's two communities: Nikos Christodoulides, president of the Republic of Cyprus, and Tufan Erhurman , Turkish Cypriot leader and president of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , which is only recognized by Turkey.

His aim in doing so was to determine whether the conditions exist for restarting negotiations on the Cyprus issue.

Progress on talks has remained stalled since the collapse of negotiations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in 2017, when the United Nations made its most comprehensive effort to broker a reunification agreement for the island.

So, why has Antonio Guterres decided to launch a new initiative now?

According to diplomatic sources, the answer lies less in developments surrounding the Cyprus issue itself and more in the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape of the wider region.

War in the Middle East , deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey , and growing strategic competition in the Eastern Mediterranean have heightened UN concerns that the unresolved Cyprus conflict could undermine the stability of the entire region.

Guterres said as much after the joint meeting on July 29. "I do believe that a solution in Cyprus is absolutely crucial, not only to preserve the interests and the peace of the Cyprus people, but also as a factor of stability in what is becoming a dangerously unstable region," he said.