Cyprus leaders postpone first meeting of second round of UN talks

The scheduled meeting between President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for Thursday, to launch the second round of the direct talks on Cyprus, has been postponed, Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou said.
Iacovou told a press conference that the occupation regime’s attitude towards pilgrims who were trying to cross to the Turkish occupied northern areas to celebrate Ayios Mamas’ name day, overshadows tomorrow’s start of the second round of talks and therefore it would be better to postpone the meeting.
He said that he is in constant touch with President Christofias who is fully briefed about the postponement.
"I met with (UN envoy Alexander) Downer this morning. I expressed the view that the Turkish behaviour inevitably casts a shadow over the scheduled meeting tomorrow… and which under the circumstances is better to be postponed," said Iacovou.
A pilgrimage from the village of Pyrgos in the Paphos district to the church of Saint Mamas in the Turkish occupied area of Morphou, via the Limnitis checkpoint, was called off on Wednesday, due to delays caused by the Turkish Cypriot side.
A total of 650 Greek Cypriot pilgrims on 27 coaches were set to cross over to the Turkish occupied areas.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Peace talks are underway between the leaders of the two communities to find a negotiated settlement that would reunite the country under a federal roof.
According to statements by Downer at the end of the first round on August 6, the chapter of governance and power sharing and particularly the executive will be the first issue Christofias and Talat were scheduled to discuss at the first meeting of the second round of the ongoing UN-led direct negotiations, on September 3rd.