(Vatican Radio) The UN mediator on Cyprus has said that Greek and Turkish sides now
had strong economic reasons to agree on a long-awaited peace deal. Alexander Downer,
special advisor on Cyprus to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that there were
strong economic reasons to agree a reunification that could help ease debt problems
and speed exploitation of disputed gas fields. Negotiations between President Demetris
Christofias, who heads the internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot government, and
Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have recently effectively stalled, and are in
jeopardy of collapse. Listen to this report from regional correspondent Nathan
Morley:
Commentators
originally believed that the U.N. chief Ban Ki Moon might succeed in Cyprus where
others had faltered, but he has acknowledged major issues, such as property abandoned
by displaced Greek Cypriots then occupied by settlers from mainland Turkey, remain
unresolved. For close to four decades, Cyprus has been one of the most troublesome
problems faced by the United Nations. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey
invaded the northern part of the island in response to a military coup that was backed
by the Greek government. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, and the self-proclaimed
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey.