UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan starts a final push today for an elusive Cyprus peace deal, meeting Greek and Turkish leaders in a secluded Alpine resort to break a logjam in negotiations.
Weeks of talks between Greece, Turkey, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have made little progress on a UN peace blueprint, leaving the chances of a united island joining the European Union on May 1st hanging by a thread.
Thwarted at the last minute in past efforts to end the bitter divide on the Mediterranean island, Mr Annan still believes it is worth diverting his attention from higher profile crises in Iraq and elsewhere to resolve a dispute going back decades.
On the eve of Mr Annan's arrival in Buergenstock later on Saturday, Turkish leader Mr Tayyip Erdogan said he was encouraged about peace hopes after meeting Greek Prime Minister Mr Costas Karamanlis at a European Union summit this week.
The stakes are high for all concerned. Without a deal, only the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government will join the EU on May 1st, representing the whole island.
This could cement the island's partition and harm Turkey's own EU hopes.
A final text of a peace accord is likely to be presented to the parties before the Buergenstock talks are wrapped up, with Mr Annan possessing a mandate to fill in any disputed gaps in the UN blueprint if the sides fail to agree.
The plan will then go to a referendum on both sides of Cyprus on April 20th.