UN envoy's visit prompts Cyprus talks push by trade unions

Greek Cypriot trade union PEO and Turkish Cypriot trade union DEV-IS called on the two leaders, President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, to make creative use of the descent to Cyprus of the UN Secretary General's personal envoy in order to resume talks from where they left off in Crans-Montana, after a meeting they had on Thursday at PEO offices.

According to a joint statement, during the meeting, the two organisations discussed the problems faced by workers and exchanged views on the expansion of cooperation between them.

They also discussed the current situation of the Cyprus problem, expressing their strong concern about the dangerous stalemate it has reached, stressing that the absence of dialogue and the creation of new faits accomplis are leading to the definitive division of Cyprus.

"The two organisations agree that the resumption of the talks process is the only way to halt the negative developments and call on the two leaders to make creative use of the descent to Cyprus of the UN Secretary General's personal envoy to resume the talks from where they left off in Crans Montana", they said in their statement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.