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Cypriot leaders remained committed to reaching solution this year

Xinhua, September 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities of Cyprus remain determined to reach a solution reunifying their split country this year despite differences, a statement said on Wednesday.

"To this end they will ask United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ... to intensify his personal engagement in the Cyprus reunification process in the months to come," the statement said.

"Cognizant of the remaining challenges, the two leaders are committed to continuing and intensifying their efforts ... in the coming months with the aim of reaching a comprehensive settlement agreement within 2016," it added.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are scheduled to meet the UN Secretary-General on Sept. 25 in New York.

The Secretary-General's special adviser on Cyprus problem, ex-foreign minister of Norway Espen Barth Eide, in reading the joint statement, said "significant progress" has been achieved on many of the outstanding issues on the chapters of Governance and Power-Sharing, Economy, the EU matters and Property.

"However, certain substantial divergences still remain," the statement added. Endit