UN Special Adviser Announces Successful End of Conference on Cyprus Reunion

The working group on Cyprus reunification has successfully completed its work in Swiss Mont Pelerin, outlining the key security issues and others, UN Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said in a statement on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the statement, the participants agreed not to disclose the details of the discussions, since the conference proceedings have not yet concluded.

"The working group, established during the high-level meeting in Geneva on 12 January, successfully completed the mandate entrusted to it by the Conference, namely identifying specific questions related to the issue of security and guarantees and the instruments needed to address them," the statement read.

The Conference on Cyprus reunion held its second session on January 18-19, at the level of deputies and experts.

On January 9-11, inter-communal talks under the auspices of Barth Eide were held in Geneva. On January 12, the talks were followed by an international conference with participation of guarantor countries Greece, Turkey and Great Britain as well as the European Union.

Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's north, later proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey maintains military presence in TRNC, which is only recognized by Ankara as an independent state. Negotiations concerning Cyprus reunion renewed in February 2014 after 2-year break. In November 2016 they stopped because of differences concerning territorial issues.

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