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U.N. Secretary-General Visits Cyprus for Peace Talks 

2010-2-1 1:19

 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon arrived in Cyprus on Sunday, hoping to inject momentum into slow moving peace talks between the island's estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

 

The U.N. Secretary General will spend one day in Cyprus, meeting with both leaders and touring the green line that divides the two communities. Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been locked in peace talks for the past 16 months.

 

Progress was made on some aspects of discussions between the sides on how to co-govern the island in a future peace deal.

 

Any agreement between the Greek Cypriot leader and Turkish Cypriot leader has to pass a referendum on both sides of the island.    

 

Turkey's bid to join the European Union partly depends on a Cyprus deal. Greek Cypriots represent the island in the bloc, and will not agree to Ankara joining until the island's division is resolved.

 

Diplomats are concerned chances of a deal could recede if the Turkish leader loses his position in elections this April in northern Cyprus.

 

A hardliner is leading most opinion polls in the enclave, a breakaway state only recognized by Ankara.