Cyprus delegations arrive at UN for talks to break impasse

Wed, 26 Jan 2011

Geneva - Delegations from both of Cyprus' communities arrived Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva for talks aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean island.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will be meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is pushing for a breakthrough and has expressed concern that the latest round of reunification talks launched in 2008 could fail.

A November meeting between the sides in New York ended with few optimistic signs, said UN officials. The officials stressed the need for some progress in the Geneva talks to keep the round alive and eventually reach a permanent solution for the island.

The two sides are discussing the possibility of establishing a federation with two administration zones for each ethnic group, but they have been unable to agree on how to implement the proposal, and the Turkish Cypriots have not abandoned talk of outright independence.

Cyprus has been been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded the island, following a Greek inspired Cypriot coup.

Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but only the southern, Greek portion enjoys the benefits. Only Turkey recognizes the northern, Turkish Cypriot part.

Turkey still maintains 45,000 troops on the island, while 850 UN troops patrol a buffer zone - known as the Green Line - dividing the two communities.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364291,un-talks-break-impasse.html.