Cyprus Talks: Negotiation talks resume after 8 week break, leaders hopes for progress

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot president Mustafa Akinci on Tuesday resumed negotiations talks just eight weeks after talks were suspended over the decision by the Greek Cypriot parliament to introduce an annual commemoration of the 1950 referendum on the island’s union with Greece (Enosis) in public secondary schools.


According to reports by the Cyprus Mail, both leaders now hoped for progress and to regain diminished trust of the last two months over a period of four planned meetings beginning on April 20 with their negotiators resuming work on Wednesday to map out a plan.

Anastasiades who spoke to the press after Tuesday's meeting said the two leaders had a fruitful exchange of views. Anastasiades said he hopes the new round of talks would bring the two sides to a point where there could be enough convergences that would lead to a solution.

“Convergences must comply with the European acquis, the principles and values of the EU and international law and that will create a functional state and will not ignore any concerns,” he said.

The fact is that the United Nations-mediated negotiations still face difficult challenges, with the Greek Cypriot government accusing the urkish Cypriot side of backpedaling on key issues at Turkey's prompting following months of solid progress.

While the Turkish Cypriots side say Greek Cypriots pay lip service to their core demand of equal partnership in the running of an envisioned federation — especially on holding the federal presidency alternately.

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Photo source (Cyprus Mail)