Cyprus leaders to resume peace talks on April 11
Leaders of the divided island of Cyprus have agreed to resume peace talks on April 11, the United Nations said on Tuesday, following a two-month interruption after historical grievances boiled to the surface.
Talks stalled in February, with Turkish Cypriots angry at a decision by Greek Cypriot lawmakers to commemorate a symbolic referendum held in 1950 calling for union of the island with Greece.
The negotiations will be held under the auspices of Espen Barth Eide, a Norwegian diplomat who has been overseeing talks for the past two years, the United Nations mission said in a news release.
Cyprus was split when Turkey invaded in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Brussels.
Peace talks between Akinci and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades – who attends in his capacity as Greek Cypriot leader – had been progressing well until the unexpected breakdown in February, underscoring the fragility of the process.
[Reuters]
