{"id":3480,"date":"2017-01-13T08:13:17","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T08:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.internationaldiplomat.com\/?p=3480"},"modified":"2017-01-13T08:13:17","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T08:13:17","slug":"3480","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/12h71.com\/?p=3480","title":{"rendered":"Cyprus Talks \u2018on Track\u2019 Ahead of International Conference \u2013 UN Envoy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cyprus Talks \u2018on Track\u2019 Ahead of International Conference \u2013 UN Envoy\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

11 January 2017 \u2013 As the United Nations-facilitated talks on Cyprus went into their third day in Geneva ahead of an international conference tomorrow, the UN adviser on the issue has said the discussions are \u201con track\u201d and while there is still much hard work to do, an \u201chistoric\u201d outcome could be reached as part of ongoing reunification efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Espen Barth Eide, the UN Special Advisor Cyprus who has been facilitating talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders,\u00a0<\/span>told reporters<\/span><\/a>: \u201cWe are on track, we have dealt with some of the most difficult issues we have touched upon almost all of them, we have solved many of them and we are close to resolving some other issues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a break from the discussions, Mr. Eide said that he expected the delegations to present comprehensive maps to each other before the day was out \u2013 \u201ca very important and historic moment. Never before have we had an exchange or presentation of maps created by the Cypriot delegations themselves [\u2026] with every sentence and comma written by Cypriots.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Espen Barth Eide, UN Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Cyprus during a press conference at the UN in Geneva. Photo Action Press\/P.-M Virot<\/p><\/div>\n

The UN Special Advisor credited Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci for their commitment to finding a solution over the last 18 months.<\/span><\/p>\n

The issue of land is key, Mr. Eide explained, describing it as a \u201cbig part of the trauma\u201d that has affected Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots since the\u00a0<\/span>division of the island<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in 1974.<\/span><\/p>\n

If all goes to plan, the draft maps will then be placed in a UN vault and pored over by cartographers from the two delegations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The so-called guarantor powers \u2013 Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom \u2013 are also set to arrive in Geneva Thursday to take part in the talks and the parties will be \u201cable to really deep dive and get a good start on the discussion on security and guarantees.\u201d United Nations\u00a0<\/span>Secretary-General<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Ant\u00f3nio Guterres is expected to open and chair the conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

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