Cyprus: After two years of deadlock, Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have decided to begin two-track talks with the aim of reunifying Cyprus, divided since Turkey occupied the north of the island in 1974.
Following a three-hour UN-brokered meeting on Saturday, Cyprus's president Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, agreed that the current "status quo" on the island is unacceptable and pledged to work for the establishment of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
They promised to create technical committees to deal with day-to-day problems, to strive for negotiations on "substantive issues" and to meet "from time to time [ to] evaluate the work of the technical committees". The breakthrough followed visits to Athens and Ankara by UN under-secretary general Ibrahim Gambari, who was charged with the task of relaunching negotiations by UN secretary general Kofi Annan.
Mr Gambari brought the two leaders together for the first time since the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN reunification plan in April 2004. Turkish Cypriots, who accepted the plan, were both disappointed and angered by its rejection; Greek Cypriots were isolated and shunned by the US and certain EU members for some time.
The UN, EU and US are seeking to secure movement toward a Cyprus settlement ahead of the EU report on Turkey's progress towards membership due to be presented in October.