UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2021) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will very soon convene an informal meeting with the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and the guarantors Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Thursday.
"Following the consultations conducted by Senior UN official, Ms. Jane Holl Lute, over the past several months, the Secretary-General intends to convene an informal five-plus-one meeting on the Cyprus issue very soon. A formal announcement will follow," Dujarric said.
The spokesman explained the meeting would aim to determine whether a common ground exists so that the parties can negotiate a sustainable and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.
Cyprus was split between Greek and Turkish communities in 1974 after Turkey invaded the island to protect Turkish Cypriots following an uprising of Greek Cypriots that resulted in a change of government and atrocities. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared independence, but it has not been recognized by any other country except for Turkey. The United Nations has attempted to broker a reunification dialogue, but the effort has failed and the dialogue stalled since the last round of talks in Switzerland's Crans-Montana in 2017.
