Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met Wednesday to launch a new round of peace talks towards reunifying the divided island.
Alexander Downer, UN chief Ban Ki-moon's special envoy and former Australian foreign minister, was also present at the meeting held in Nicosia's buffer zone.
According to media report, the rival leaders will discuss procedural matters at the meeting, with substantive issues left to next week.
On July 25, the Greek Cypriot leader Christofias and Talat reached agreement to start comprehensive peace negotiations to end years of tension in Cyprus.
The Greek Cypiots side maintained that a viable solution would be a federal united republic of Cyprus, bizonal and bicommunal, with one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality.
Meanwhile, The Turkish Cypriot leadership stressed a reunited Cyprus should be established on "a Turkish Cypriot constituent state and a Greek Cypriot constituent state with political equality."
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish military intervened and controlled the north of the island following a coup by a group of Greek officers.
In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Ankara.
Turkey maintains some 40,000 troops in the self-proclaimed " Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which remains a key issue in the revived peace process aimed at reunifying the island.
For several decades, the UN has continuously tried to persuade the two communities to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, which is also a main obstacle to Turkey's bid for EU membership.
Source:Xinhua
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