Cyprus president cautious on talks, public downbeat

Peace talks on ethnically divided Cyprus are facing problems but differences can be bridged, President Demetris Christofias said, as a poll showed growing pessimism about a deal.
Christofias, who leads the Greek Cypriot community in reunification talks with the Turkish Cypriot side, said in an interview he did not contemplate failure in negotiations, which started on Sept. 3.
"There are some difficulties on certain aspects … but I am not in any hurry to conclude there is a deadlock and a full divergence in views," Christofias told the Kathimerini Cyprus newspaper.
Christofias has been meeting on a regular basis with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Their next meeting is due on Nov. 3.
"I sincerely believe there can be a bridging of views in due course," Christofias was quoted as saying.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus have lived estranged since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup.
The conflict complicates Turkey's bid to join the European Union, where Greek Cypriots represent the island in the bloc with veto powers over Turkey, which has troops stationed in breakaway northern Cyprus.
A settlement on Cyprus has eluded diplomats for decades, though mediators believe Christofias and Talat, both moderates, are best placed to broker a deal.
But a separate poll by Noverna for the Greek Cypriot Politis daily on Sunday showed 54 percent of respondents pessimistic about the talks, compared to 37 percent polled last April. Some 67 percent in Sunday's poll said they did not believe the process would end with a deal.
Christofias got high approval ratings, with 75 percent saying they approved his negotiation tactics with Turkish Cypriots.
The sides have agreed to reunite as a federation linked in a power-sharing central government. However, decades of estrangement have created a series of disputes ranging from how power will effectively be shared to property claims from up to 200,000 internally displaced people.
"It's a difficult negotiation. Nobody should expect that the solution will be fully clarified from just a few initial meetings," Christofias told Kathimerini.