Cyprus community leaders resume negotiations
Xinhua, April 11, 2017 Adjust font size:
The leaders of the estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities resumed negotiations for progress that will lead to an agreement reunifying their island country, they said on Tuesday.
"I hope the new round of talks will lead to convergences between the two sides that will bring about a Cyprus settlement," Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters after a three-hour meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
The Turkish Cypriot leader said in a separate statement that he would like a quick result.
"More than anybody else, the people in Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots (in particular) want a result and if there could be one to see it soon," Akinci said.
Tuesday's meeting was the first in almost two months after Akinci walked out of the negotiations protesting over a parliamentary decision by Greek Cypriot to commemorate the anniversary of a 1950 referendum in favor of "enosis" or union with Greece.
The two leaders decided to have a total of four meetings starting on April 20, after one week of preparatory work by their chief advisers. Endit