Cyprus talks to resume April 11

NEW YORK

Cyprus talks will resume next week, on April 11 after a two-month hiatus, the United Nations announced Tuesday.

The talks will resume following UN Envoy Espen Barth Eide's consultations with the Turkish and Greek sides, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday met in Brussels with Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci, who confirmed the April 11 talks.

"I hope that this new beginning will bring positive results for all sides in Cyprus, the region, and all the other relevant parties," Akinci said.

Akinci and Greek Cypriot administration leader Nicos Anastasiades have been involved in UN-led talks to create a federal two-part state since May 2015.

In February, a decision by the Greek Cypriot assembly to introduce a school commemoration of a 1950 referendum on unification with Greece saw the discussions stall.

The eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when a Greek coup was followed by violence against the island’s Turkish population and Turkey’s intervention to protect them.