UN envoy embarks on effort to resume Cyprus peace talks

Nicosia, Jan 31 (IANS) An envoy for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres embarked on efforts in Nicosia to resume the Cyprus peace negotiations.

UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar said on Tuesday that she was ready to contribute to the resumption of the peace process.

She met with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar separately, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting, Christodoulides reiterated his commitment to create conditions for the resumption of talks, according to a spokesman of the Cyprus government.

Tatar said after meeting with Holguin that he stressed the need for a two-state solution in Cyprus leading to a Turkish Cypriot sovereign state.

Cyprus was partitioned when Turkey sent troops to the island's northern part in 1974 in response to a Greek coup at the time. Several rounds of UN-led efforts to negotiate an agreement for the divided island have been inconclusive to date.

Holguin, former Foreign Minister of Colombia, is scheduled to stay in Cyprus for about 10 days to meet other officials and for more meetings, including with civil society groups from the two communities.