G8 talks of ‘historic opportunity’ in Cyprus

THE Group of Eight (G8) called upon the parties in Cyprus “to take the historic opportunity that now exists to intensify the negotiations” between the two communities.

The seven industrialised countries and Russia said in a statement on regional affairs issued during their annual meeting, taking place this year in Okinawa, Japan, that talks on the Cyprus problem should “strike the compromises needed to reach a just and lasting settlement that protects the fundamental interests of both parties in an undivided Cyprus, giving full consideration to relevant Security Council resolutions.”

Expressing the hope that decisive progress will be made in the current round of proximity talks on the Cyprus problem that resume in Switzerland tomorrow and those to come in the months ahead, the G8 also noted that “the failure of the two parties to resolve their differences and end the division of Cyprus remains a matter of serious concern” to them.

They also recalled the declaration issued at their last meeting in Cologne calling for resumption of comprehensive negotiations under UN auspices on a Cyprus settlement, and commended the UN Secretary-general for convening proximity talks between the parties “to prepare the ground for meaningful negotiations leading to a comprehensive settlement”.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.