UN chief encourages leaders of Cypriot communities to overcome hurdles in talks

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday encouraged the Turkish Cypriot leader and the Greek Cypriot leader to overcome hurdles in the Cyprus peace talks to "do their utmost" in order to reach a settlement in 2016.

The secretary-general, in a statement read to the press here by Farhan Haq, deputy UN spokesman, said that he has been updated by his special adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, about the outcome of the UN-brokered talks that took place between the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Ak?nc?, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, on Nov. 7-11 and Nov. 20-21.

"The secretary-general encourages Mr. Ak?nc? and Mr. Anastasiades to do their utmost to overcome also this particular hurdle and conclude the promising work that they had undertaken in Mont Pelerin," Haq said at a daily news briefing here. "They have made significant progress across chapters over the past eighteen months, advancing their talks further than ever before."

"They should continue to build upon their substantial achievements," he said.

"The secretary-general urges the leaders to continue their efforts in line with their shared commitment to do their utmost in order to reach a settlement in 2016," he said. "Especially in a region and in a world marked by increasing tension, they must not let this historic opportunity slip."

"Despite the best efforts of Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Ak?nc?, the talks did not yield the desired results regarding agreement on the criteria for territorial adjustment and they decided they would return to Cyprus to reflect on the way forward," Haq said.

"The secretary-general shares the disappointment of the two leaders who had hoped that the meetings in Mont Pelerin would pave the way for the final phase of the talks," Haq said.

On the same night of Nov. 21, thousands of people from both communities gathered in the buffer zone in Nicosia in support of the leaders' shared vision of a united homeland, Haq noted. "The secretary-general is confident of the leaders' continued desire to deliver on these expectations with a mutually beneficial solution."

"Cypriots deserve nothing less," he said.

Meanwhile, the secretary-general reiterated his full support and the commitment of the United Nations to assist the two leaders in reaching their shared goal, while respecting that the future of Cyprus will be determined by Cypriots, for all Cypriots, Haq said, adding that Ban "will be in contact with both leaders soon to discuss the next steps. He is in close contact with his special adviser who is currently assessing the situation."

"The secretary-general urges all interested parties to avoid any statements and actions that would make the resumption of talks more difficult," he said. "He reminds them that temporary set-backs are not uncommon in peace processes as talks approach a final stage."

"The secretary-general also calls upon all interested parties, especially the guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, to do their utmost to support the leaders during the coming days and weeks, which will be crucial for the negotiations and the future of Cyprus," Haq added.

The United Nations which brokers the reunification negotiations announced in the early hours of Tuesday that the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities had failed to achieve the necessary convergences on criteria for territorial adjustments that would have paved the way for the last phase of the talks.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey occupied its northern part, in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece, and moved Turkish Cypriots from all over the island into the enclave controlled by Turkish troops.

The leaders of both the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus have said that after four decades of negotiations they are close to a solution by the end of this year, provided they can overcome difficulties in agreeing on security arrangements and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus. Endit