Representatives of Cyprus' Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities resumed their consultations here Friday by holding their first meeting in 2007.

In a statement, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) confirmed the meeting was held at the office of UN secretary general's special pepresentative to Cyprus Michael Moller at the UNFICYP headquarters in Nicosia.

"The meeting marks the continuation of consultations on implementation of the July 8 agreement (between the two communities)," said the statement.

According to the statement, the meeting was held between Tasos Tzionis, director of Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos' diplomatic office, and Rasit Pertev who represented the Turkish Cypriot leadership.

On July 8, 2006, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met in the presence of a senior UN official Imbrahim Gambari.

During the meeting, they agreed to start a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and then go on with substantive issues for the reunification of the island.

Following the agreement, Tzionis and Pertev began consultations in the UN-controlled buffer zone on how to implement it. But no technical committees or working groups have been set up as expected.

President Papadopoulos has rejected calls for a meeting between him and Talat without previously preparing the ground properly, Cyprus News Agency reported Friday.

"The fundamental provision of the July 8 agreement, between myself and Mr Talat, is that all issues, that will form the basis of any negotiations for a political settlement, have first to be prepared through discussions," Papadopoulos was quoted as saying.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

Source: Xinhua