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UN envoy expects Cyprus talks to resume in October

Talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots regarding the island’s future are due to resume in October, the United Nations indicated on Tuesday.

UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer (photo) said yesterday that both sides want to resume peace talks.

Downer had earlier held separate meetings with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

Anastasiades and Eroglu’s most recent meeting came in June.

“They are looking to start talks in October,” said Downer.

“That is the indication they are giving and obviously there is a lot of work that needs to be done between now and then.”

Downer is due to meet this week with the negotiators the two sides have appointed.

He was especially complimentary about Andreas Mavroyiannis, who has had a long diplomatic career.

Downer suggested that the topics to be discussed will be based on the UN’s assessment of inconclusive talks between Cyprus’s previous president, Dimitris Christofias, and Eroglu, as well as his predecessor, Mehmet Ali Talat.

The latest development on Cyprus comes after the left-wing Republican Turkish Party (CTP) won elections in the occupied part of the island on Sunday.

CTP won 38.5 percent of the vote against 27.1 percent of the nationalist National Unity Party (UBP).

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