UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Cyprus on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at injecting momentum into slow-paced peace talks with a view to ending the division of the eastern Mediterranean island, dpa reported.
"I am here to show my personnel support for the Cypriot talks to reunify the country ... I am here to encourage these two leaders to bring these talks to a successful conclusion," Ban said upon arriving at Larnaca airport.
Cyprus has been been split since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to a Greek-inspired coup.
Greek Cypriots currently live in the south and Turkish Cypriots in the north. The two sides are divided by a UN-supervised buffer zone, which runs through the heart of Nicosia.
The UN chief's visit is seen as an effort to shore up the faltering negotiations which began in September 2008.
"Reaching a mutually acceptable solution will require courage, flexibility and vision as well as the spirit of compromise," he said. Ban also noted that "this process belongs to Cyprus and the UN is here at the invitation to assist - your destiny is in your hands."
His talks with Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and special advisor Alexander Downer are expected to focus on the state of progress in the talks, and on how best the UN can continue to assist their efforts.
Intensive UN-led negotiations have so far resulted in leaders describing significant progress in a series of areas of governance. The two sides have however failed to agree on the core issues of property, security and territorial adjustments.
Both Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders say they are committed to finding a solution this year after 16 months of sluggish negotiations, which included three marathon sessions earlier this month.
It was not clear whether rival leaders would commit to a third round of intensive talks in February.
Experts have expressed fears that the two leaders have little time left, with elections in the occupied northern part of the island expected to bring a hardliner to power.
Turkish Cypriot hardliner Dervis Eroglu has said he will run in presidential elections in northern Cyprus on April 18. If elected, he is likely bring a permanent division to the island with the formation of two entirely separate states.
European Union officials have said that progress at the Cyprus reunification talks are essential to helping Turkey's slow-moving EU accession process move forward.
Although the peace talks and Turkey's EU membership negotiations are separate processes, a breakthrough on one is likely to have a positive impact on the other.
Christofias has ruled out any draft agreement at this stage, as both sides are adamant that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
Leaders have suggested that much of their differences lie on how to deal with the thousands of property claims from people uprooted in past conflicts.
Greek Cypriot leaders have also criticized recent proposals by the Turkish Cypriots for separate rights to sign international agreements and control the island's airspace.