The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will meet in Switzerland next month to begin what they hope are the final negotiations to reunite the divided island, the United Nations announced Wednesday.
Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mustafa Akıncı met in Nicosia on Wednesday evening and agreed to move the discussion onto one of the few remaining issues — the line marking the two communities in a reunited country.
The Turkish Cypriot side asked to discuss the territorial adjustment outside of Cyprus to avoid any information leaking from the closed-door negotiations, according to two sources familiar with the talks. The issue is particularly sensitive because Greek Cypriots argue the Turkish area should shrink to better reflect the size of the two populations.
Anastasiades and Akıncı will therefore hold negotiations in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, from November 7-11, according to the United Nations mission to Cyprus.
“The leaders expressed their hope that their meeting in Switzerland will pave the way for the last phase of the talks in line with their shared commitment to do their utmost in order to reach a settlement within 2016,” it said. The U.N. secretary-general’s special adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, will continue to facilitate the talks.
If the two sides can reach an agreement on the territorial line, the talks will move on to the last remaining issue — the future roles of Cyprus’ three protecting powers — Turkey, Greece and the U.K. — and in particular the presence of more than 30,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided by a U.N.-enforced no-go zone, known as the Green Line, since 1974. Anastasiades’ government is recognized around the world except by Turkey, while Akıncı’s government is not recognized by any other country except Turkey.
Anastasiades and Akıncı have been negotiating to reunite the island and create a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation for a year-and-a-half. They aim to reach an agreement by the end of the year and hold separate but simultaneous referendums in the first few months of 2017.