Anastasiades says regrets Akinci’s decision not to attend talks

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed regret on Wednesday over the decision of Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci not to attend scheduled peace talks on Thursday.

"I am ready to continue the dialogue at any time," Anastasiades wrote on Twitter.

Greek Cypriot officials earlier reported Akinci had pulled out of Thursday's peace talks, ongoing for almost two years. It was unclear when negotiations would resume.

Relations between the two sides have been overshadowed by acrimony over a decision by Cyprus's Greek Cypriot parliament earlier this month for the commemoration in schools of a 1950 referendum which sought union of the island with Greece. [Reuters]