Cyprus parties to continue dialogue

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties, which meet regularly in the UN-controlled buffer zone under the auspices of the Slovak embassy in Cyprus, will meet again today at the Ledra Palace hotel.

According to a written statement by the Slovak embassy, after the meeting the parties will issue a joint communique.

In their last regular meeting on March 11th, the parties exchanged views on the role of education in the process for a solution.

In the joint communique issued at the end of the meeting, the parities agreed that education should promote the peaceful coexistence of the island’s two communities, reconciliation and multiculturalism, eliminate mistrust, respect the different ethnic identity and open the path for the future of every Cypriot in a United Cyprus.

Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat have been engaged in direct negotiations since September last year, aiming at reuniting the island, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.