UN hosts meeting with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot negotiators

“Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and Turkish Cypriot Negotiator Kudret Özersay met on Tuesday in the United Nations Protected Area,” said the spokesperson for the Secretary General’s Good Offices Mission in Cyprus.

The negotiators exchanged views on methodology and the way forward in preparation for the upcoming leaders’ meeting which will be held on 2 September 2014, said the spokesperson.

“The UN will hold bilateral meetings with both negotiators in the coming days to continue the preparations for the leaders’ meeting,” he added.

On Tuesday’s negotiator’s meeting comes after UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week appointed Espen Barth Eide of Norway as his new Special Adviser on Cyprus.

Eide will assume the position formerly held by Alexander Downer of Australia, who stepped down as his Special Adviser in April 2014.

According to a statement from  Ban’s spokesperson,  Eide, a seasoned diplomat, brings to the position a deep understanding of peace processes and peacemaking.  Eide was previously Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway (2012-2013) and also served in other senior positions during his 10 years in the Norwegian Government, including as Minister of Defence (2011-2012).

Eide currently serves as Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board of the World Economic Forum in Geneva.

The UN has been facilitating talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leadership, with a view to the eventual establishment of a federal government with a single international personality, consisting of a Turkish Cypriot Constituent State and a Greek Cypriot Constituent State, each of equal status.

The UN also maintains a peacekeeping force in Cyprus, known as UNFICYP, which was deployed in 1964, when inter-communal fighting erupted on the Mediterranean island.