Leaders of Cyprus' two rival communities continued their substantive negotiations on Thursday, one week after they kicked off the talks aimed at reunifying the eastern Mediterranean island.
"Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat today continued their negotiations on the questions of governance and power-sharing," said UN spokesman Jose Luis Diaz in a short statement.
The meeting took place in the presence of the UN secretary general's special representative to Cyprus, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, at the abandoned Nicosia Airport, located inside the UN-monitored buffer zone. The talks were closed to the media.
The two leaders have agreed to resume negotiations on power-sharing on Oct. 8, according to the UN statement.
Speaking to reporters waiting at the presidential palace, Christofias said that the discussion on governance and power-sharing had not been completed because there were some pending issues.
Christofias and Talat met on Sept. 3 to ceremonially inaugurate a new round of reunification talks. They started their substantive talks on Sept. 11.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and occupied 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 Turkey.
For several decades, the UN has continuously worked to persuade the two communities to find a solution to the Cyprus issue, which is also a main obstacle to Turkey's bid for European Union membership.
Christofias and Talat, both seen as pro-settlement leaders, were trying to work out a viable solution based on the formula of a bizonal and bicommunal federal republic of Cyprus.
Last week, the UN secretary general's special advisor on Cyprus Alexander Downer expressed cautious optimism about the newly launched negotiation process.
"There has not been any successful conclusion to the Cyprus problem for many years, therefore it is not going to be a simple and easy process," the former Australian foreign minister told reporters.
However, "my sense is that there is the political will that it is time to try to solve the problem," he said.
Source:Xinhua
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