UN Official: Time is right to resume Cyprus talks

(Vatican Radio) The UN Secretary General’s Advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, said on Tuesday peace talks between leaders of the Greek and Turkish communities can resume after a six month suspension. The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island after a Greek military coup.

The Cypriot government  suspended the talks with the Turkish Cypriots in October after Turkey announced plans to drill for oil and gas in waters where Cyprus had already licensed drilling.

"The stated of reasons why talks could not happen are gone, at least for the foreseeable future, and that makes it possible to prepare for the resumption of talks in a structured, results oriented and fast manner,” Eide said.

“But even more importantly than what I think about this is that I have shared this perspective with Mr. [Nicos] Anastasiades, representing the Greek Cypriot community and Mr. Dervis Eroglu, representing the Turkish Cypriot community, and they both agreed that the circumstances are now right," he added.