The leaders of the divided island of Cyprus have indicated they are prepared to meet with the United Nations Secretary-General to assess prospects for reviving long-stalled reunification talks, Reuters reported.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman held their first meeting since Erhurman’s landslide victory in October. The moderate, center-left politician has pledged to work toward reopening UN-led negotiations on a settlement.
According to a UN spokesperson, both sides expressed readiness to participate in a future informal meeting convened by the Secretary-General and agreed to explore holding additional bilateral contacts. A UN envoy is expected to visit the island in early December.
Cyprus has remained divided since the Turkish military intervention in 1974, which followed a brief coup backed by Greece. Currently, a UN peacekeeping mission patrols the buffer zone separating the two communities.
