Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot parties have identified different views as regards the content of a Common Declaration, which ought to be bridged.
This was the result of a regular meeting on Wednesday, at the Ledra Palace, between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot parties which lasted about three hours, according to a joint communiqué read out by Slovak Ambassador Oxana Tomova.
The parties, she noted, “exchanged opinions on the issue of what ought to be included in the Common Declaration and how ought the parties act to maintain healthy and sustainable negotiations in order to reach early and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, as proposed by the hosting party United Cyprus”.
During the discussion, she added, political parties “realized that there exist different views which need to be bridged in order to develop a common understanding”.
“They also urge both leaders to agree on a Common Declaration and start the negotiations as soon as possible”, Tomova said.
The next regular meeting of the leaders and the representatives of the political parties takes place in January 2014, at the Ledra Palace.
The parties have been meeting under the aegis of the Slovak embassy.
Cyprus was divided in 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Previous UN led efforts to reunify the island under a federal roof have failed.
Concerted efforts are being made these days to agree on a joint declaration between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides, which will allow a new round of negotiations on the Cyprus issue to begin.