Cyprus Government competencies the focus of Christofias-Talat meeting

President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will have a new meeting on Tuesday, in the framework of the ongoing direct negotiations on the question of Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus are expected tomorrow to talk about the issue of the competences of the federal government and there will be further discussions about the external relations issue.

During their last meeting on 22 October, the leaders maintained their positions on the property issue, said Alexander Downer, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on Cyprus.

The two leaders have been engaged in talks since September 2008 with a view to find a mutually acceptable solution that will reunite the country, divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third.