Cyprus Talks: Special envoy to the UN Secretary-General, Lute, visits and Akinci

The special envoy to the UN Secretary-General, Jane Holl Lute, began her visit to the island on Monday, by first meeting with Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in a meeting that lasted for three hours in Nicosia following which she will head to see Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci in Lefkosa.

Lute who arrive Cyprus on Saturday will asses the prospects for a resumption of the Cyprus talks.

She was received by Anastasiades at 10am at the presidential palace.

Lute in a meeting with Anastasiades in Nicosia

Following her three hours meeting with Anastasiades in Nicosia, Lute headed straight to North Cyprus at about 3:30 to meet with Akinci.

Lute in a meeting with Akinci in Lefkosa

Lute will report directly back to the UN chief. She is not expected to make any statements while she is in Cyprus but to return to New York on Tuesday morning. After that, she will arrange for a round of contacts in Athens and Ankara, the capitals of the guarantor powers, and in Brussels and file her final report to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by early September.

Several UN-backed talks, aimed at reunifying the divided island under a federal roof, have failed to yield any results. The latest round of peace talks which took place last July at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.