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Roundup: UN says Cyprus peace negotiations expected to resume soon

Xinhua, April 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The United Nations said on Tuesday it expects Cyprus peace negotiations to resume soon after a six-month suspension because of a row over offshore gas exploration.

The negotiations were suspended by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in late October 2014, after Turkey issued a nautical advisory and sent warships and a seismic data ship to explore for natural gas in an area claimed by Cyprus.

Norwegian diplomat Espen Barth Eide, acting as the UN Secretary-General's adviser on Cyprus, told a press conference here that he expected the negotiations to resume "within weeks."

"I see no obstacle to a very early resumption of talks once the election process in the north of Cyprus is done," Eide said, referring to a vote on April 19 to elect a leader of the breakaway northern part of Cyprus.

Turkey occupied the northern area of the eastern Mediterranean island in 1974, reacting to a coup by Greek army officers. Repeated rounds of negotiations since then have failed to produce an agreement to reunify the island.

The maritime navigational telex for seismic research, issued by Turkey committing an area demarcated as a Cypriot exclusive economic zone under the UN Law of the Sea, expired on April 6.

Eide met Anastasiades and incumbent Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu on Tuesday to finalize an agreement for the resumption of talks.

"Both sides agreed the circumstances are now right for the resumption of negotiations," Eide said.

The UN diplomat met Turkish officials in Ankara on Monday, saying he had productive talks with them.

Cypriot government sources have said that barring unexpected developments negotiations are to resume probably on May 12.

But Anastasiades has repeatedly warned that there will be an automatic suspension of the negotiations should Turkey act in a way encroaching on Cyprus' sovereign rights.

Analysts said prospects for a final breakthrough when negotiations restart would depend largely on who will win the Turkish Cypriot elections. Endit