Roundup: Cypriot community leaders embark on possibly their last round of reunification negotiations

The leaders of the estranged Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus on Monday started what may possibly be the last round of negotiations in their quest for a reunification of the divided eastern Mediterranean island.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, acting in his capacity as leader of the Greek community and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had a meeting which lasted more than four hours - the first substantive one of six sessions until September 14.

No statements were made either by the United Nations which broker the negotiations nor the two leaders.

"We have agreed that no statements will be made during these six important meetings...I request the members of the press to respect this decision," said Anastasiades after returning to his office.

He said that a press statement will be issued at the end of the negotiations.

"There is no intention of imposing a black out on the negotiations but rather to facilitate our work during these important meetings and render them more effective," he said.

When asked how the climate at the meeting was, Anastasiades replied that "it is generally improving."

His remark was taken to be a reference to verbal salvoes by Akinci, who had remarked after talks in Istanbul with Turkish officials that a solution could be found by September 14, should Greek Cypriots refrained from putting forth "infeasible demands."

Akinci was talking about statements by the Cypriot government that neither Turkish troops in Cyprus nor Turkish guarantees would be in line with a solution.

Turkey maintains about 43,000 soldiers on Cyprus after it occupied its northern territory in 1974, reacting to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

Espen Bart Eide, a former foreign minister of Norway who presides over the negotiations on behalf of the U.N. Secretary General, has said that Anastasiades and Akinci will have a brainstorming discussion of all six chapters making up the Cyprus problem.

The most critical one is the security chapter, which requires the consent of Turkey, as it will involve the withdrawal of Turkish troops and the abrogation of guarantee rights given to Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom when Cyprus became independent in 1960.

The United Nations have been reported to be preparing a three-way meeting between the Secretary General and the two leaders in New York after the end of the U.N. General Assembly late in September to seal an agreement.

A final solution would require an extended meeting to take care of the "international aspect" of the Cyprus problem - the setting up of a system of guarantees for at least the initial phase of the implementation of a solution. Endit