Rival Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot leaders held private talks on Friday in a bid to speed up slow-moving negotiations on reunifying the divided Mediterranean island. President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met alone for an hour before being joined by their delegations for a further two hours of discussions, UN mediators said.
“The leaders had a productive meeting. They had a one-hour private meeting at the beginning and they have agreed to meet on a weekly basis,” UN envoy Alexander Downer said after the talks.
There had been criticism of the pace of the negotiations launched on Sept 3.
Christofias travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly and also made a state visit to Bulgaria.
Downer said the two leaders had agreed to meet again on Monday to continue their discussions.
“The leaders today had further discussions on the powers of a federal government and they made progress,” he said.
“They also began discussions on the structure of a federal executive. Both sides made proposals and these discussions will continue on Monday.”
Christofias told reporters the meeting with Talat was held in a friendly atmosphere but warned not to expect speedy progress on complex issues.
“There are differences of opinion between the two communities, so it is clear that above all we need, from us and from you, patience,” he said.
“We will have progress but it won’t be so fast paced, but at least it will be progress,” he added.
Under agreements dating back to the late 1970s, the two sides are pledged to reunite in a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
The UN envoy called for the two leaders to give the space to negotiate a settlement which has eluded repeated rounds of talks over the past three decades.
“I think it is very important that the leaders be given plenty of space in order to continue their work. These are very important negotiations for the future of Cyprus,” he said.
He was alluding to criticism of the talks process in recent weeks from the media on both sides of the island.
Turkish Cypriot media had criticised Christofias for visiting Bulgaria amid the talks process. The Greek Cypriot media had accused Talat of trying to dilute the powers of the future federal government so much that the island would become a confederation of two states rather than a federation.
Friday’s meeting came after former US president Jimmy Carter, anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu and Algerian statesman Lakhdar Brahimi held talks on the island on Thursday to lend their support to the reunification process.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 but is recognised only by Ankara.
A UN reunification blueprint was approved by Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots in 2004 just a week before the island joined the European Union, leaving only Greek Cypriots enjoying the full benefits of EU membership.