Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have made significant progress on their talks over the future federal government, the United Nations' top envoy in Cyprus said Monday.
Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met for the first time in 2009 in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia, with the presence of Taye-Brook Zerihoun, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special representative in Cyprus.
"They have reached full agreement on the issue of harmonization and cooperation between the federal government and the constituent states or the federal units." Zerihoun told reporters following the three-hour meeting Monday morning.
"They are also very close to full convergence on the issue of hierarchy of norms and have decided to continue discussion on the matter in order to overcome the remaining obstacles," he added.
Christofias later told Greek Cypriot reporters that the 14th meeting with Talat since last September had a positive outcome. But he declined to elaborate on the details of the agreement they have reached.
The two leaders' next meeting will be on Jan. 12.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and occupied north of the island following a coup by a group of Greek officers.
In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the breakaway "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Turkey.
After years of deadlock, Christofias and Talat, both considered pro-settlement leaders, have agreed in principle to reunify the island in a bi-zonal and bi-communal federal structure.
They have been working hard to iron out their differences on how it should work. Besides power-sharing they have focused on so far, property rearrangement and security guarantees are two other thorny issues the two sides have to deal with.
Source:Xinhua
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