Cyprus' leaders to intensify peace talks in January

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities are speeding up their talks next month with a view of reaching a solution to the decades-long Cyprus problem in 2010, Xinhua reported.
   "The leaders reconfirmed their earlier decision to intensify their efforts by meeting on 11, 12, 13 and 18, 19, 20 of January 2010," said the UN good offices coordinator, Yasser Sabra, on Monday.
   The announcement was made following the last meeting in 2009 between Cypriot President, Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
   According to a joint statement read out by the UN diplomat, the leaders will seek more convergences next month on issues such as governance and power-sharing, the economy and EU matters.
   They will also continue their talks on the issue of properties deserted by their owners in the 1974 war, but they will not touch upon the territory issue until later in their talks.
   The two leaders expressed "their strong hope that 2010 will be the year of solution of the Cyprus problem," said the statement.
   The two community leaders had originally planned to hold their talks at their residences, three in the country home of Christofias in the Greek Cypriot south Cyprus and three more at the Kyrenia residence of Talat, in the Turkish Cypriot north. Nevertheless, they changed the venue of the talks after strong objections by Greek Cypriot parties, which expressed fears for the personal safety of the president.
   Cyprus has remained divided since the Turkish military intervened and occupied the island's north following a coup by a group of Greek officers in 1974. The Cyprus issue is hampering Turkey's bid to join the European Union (EU), of which Cyprus, represented by Greek Cypriots, has become a member.
   Alexander Downer, the special adviser of the UN secretary- general on Cyprus, told reporters on Saturday before he left the island that the two leaders had shown their determination to make "real progress" next month.
   "January is going to be a very important point in this whole negotiating process," Downer underlined, adding that the UN officials in Cyprus are doing "a lot of intensive preparation" to facilitate the leaders' talks.
   Christofias said following Monday's meeting with Talat that the aim of the intensified negotiations is not to find a solution before a Turkish Cypriot vote scheduled for mid-April to elect a new "president" of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, who also acts as leader and negotiates on behalf of the Turkish community.
   "The talks will continue after the vote with whoever is elected leader of the Turkish Cypriot community," said Christofias.
   Nevertheless, there are widespread worries among Greek and Turkish Cypriots that a new hard-line Turkish Cypriot leader will make finding a solution more difficult, also complicating Ankara's bid to join the European Union.
   The two community leaders started talks in September 2008 and have made substantial progress on the issues of the form of government and power sharing between the two communities, relations with the European Union and the economy. 
   Their views differ widely on the issues of properties, the abrogation of international guarantees and security arrangements in force since the 1960 Cyprus independence and the number of Turkish mainland settlers who will remain behind after a solution.