Talks on reunification of Cyprus fail to reach deal

The UN-mediated Cyprus talks have failed to yield any tangible agreement on territorial issues, the office of the United Nations Spokesperson in Cyprus said on Tuesday.

"The Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, have been engaged in serious and sustained negotiations over the last two days in Mont Pelerin," the office said in a brief statement.

"Despite their best efforts, they have not been able to achieve the necessary further convergences on criteria for territorial adjustment that would have paved the way for the last phase of the talks," it added.

This is the second time this month that the two officials convened in a Swiss resort for direct talks on territorial and other issues.

The negotiations had been hoped to pave the way toward a final summit involving rival Cypriot leaders as well as Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Cyprus has been divided into two since 1974 after a Greek coup spurred Turkey to send forces to the northern parts of the small Mediterranean state.

While the southern Greek Cypriot side is recognized by the international community and is a member of the European Union, only Ankara officially recognizes the break-away northern region.

"The two sides have decided to return to Cyprus and reflect on the way forward," the UN statement concluded. Endi