The UN Special Representative for the Cyprus, Alexander Downer, has praised the trilateral meeting of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and leaders of the Cypriot communities in New York, calling it positive, productive and energetic, ITAR-TASS reports.
The representative underlined at the Greentree Estate in Long Island that the UN is content with the meeting.
Ban Ki-moon had two-hour talks with President of the Cypriot Republic Dimitris Christofias and Leader of the Turkish Cypriots Dervis Eroglu. They discussed state administration, property, territorial dissociation and citizenship.
Downer proposed a declaration of the UN secretary general on Monday or Tuesday morning.
It has been the fourth trilateral meeting this year. The previous talks were held in Geneva in July to reach rapprochement in October. An international conference was proposed to fix an agreement for uniting the island. The process should best be concluded in mid-2012, experts say. The Cypriot Republic will take office as EU chairman at that time.
The Cyprus has been split into two communities since 1974. About 37% of the territory was taken by Turkey in 1983, becoming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The southern part consists of Greeks and became an EU member in 2004. It joined the euro zone in 2008.
The UN initiated talks in September 2008. It aspires to unite the state. Ankara refuses to recognize the Cypriot Republic. The dispute is the main obstacle for Turkish membership of the EU.
