Historic week for Cyprus issue

Cyprus and Greek leaders have struck a positive note over this week’s crucial Geneva talks for the re-unification of the island whilst Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are already in the Swiss capital preparing presentations of their respective vision for the divided island.

Meanwhile Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held a 40 minute telephone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres ahead of the multilateral meeting, discussing aspects of both the process and the issue itself.

According to government sources the Greek Prime Minister repeated Greece’s long standing positions and its commitment to a just and viable solution on the basis of UN decisions, claiming Guterres was "very positive" about Greece's positions and raised no objections to the possibility of EU participation in the meeting, which Athens greatly desires.

With foreign diplomats pressing for a quick conclusion of the current talks so referendums can be held in Cyprus and in the Turkish-occupied north, experts are warning that prospects of a breakthrough are slim given Turkey’s domestic problems.

Crucially both Anastasiades and Akinci are sharply divided on one major point: the presence of Turkish troops on the island. Anastasiades wants the troops removed as part of any new deal, while Akinci demands their continued presence.

UN envoy Espen Barth Eide remains hopeful with this new year’s message saying that 2017 ‘will be the year when the Cypriots themselves freely decide to turn the page of history.

The Geneva talks will take place this Thursday.