European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will pay a one-day visit to Cyprus on Thursday to assess the process of reunification talks between the island's two rival communities.

Barroso is to hold separate meetings with Cyprus President and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun.

This visit offers a very good opportunity for President Christofias to brief Barroso on the Cyprus problem and discuss issues concerning the European Union, Stephanos Stephanou, the spokesman for Christofias, told reporters on Wednesday.

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

In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared breakaway and set up "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Turkey, now bidding to join the EU.

Turkey has maintained a strong military presence in the Turkish Cypriot north, which has become one of the main obstacles to Turkey's road to the EU as the internationally recognized Cyprus government, who only administers the Greek Cypriot south due to the division, has veto power over new EU entrants, including Turkey.

Since September 2008, Christofias and Talat have met on a weekly basis in an effort to find a mutually acceptable solution to reunify the eastern Mediterranean island. Many analysts believe that 2009 may be the last chance for years that the two communities, with a pro-settlement leader on each side for the first time, could possibly find a way out of the decades-old stalemate.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn, during a visit to Cyprus in February, urged the two sides to grasp the "unique chance" to reunite the island and speak in a single voice in EU.

Source: Xinhua