CYPRUS: UN close to breakthrough in getting peace talks to resume

UN envoy Jane Hall Lute is close to brokering a deal that will see frozen Cyprus settlement talks resume after an intensive round of negotiations with Cypriot leaders.

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The United Nations official is holding a third round of separate talks on Tuesday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

She arrived on the island in a new bid to secure the terms of reference that would lead to the resumption of the stalled talks

Lute was expected to leave on Monday, but she has prolonged her stay on the island as hopes of breaking the two-year deadlock materialise.

Lute met Anastasiades Tuesday morning. Soon after the President held a meeting of the National Council, the top advisory body on the Cyprus problem.

Later Tuesday the UN envoy will meet Akinci.

Government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou, said after Monday’s Lute-Anastasiades meeting that there is justified hope and grounds for the formulation of the terms of reference that would pave the way for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations stalled since 2017.

The last UN effort crashed at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana in July 2017.