UN chief returns to Cyprus talks

By Fatih Erel

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday returned to Switzerland to attend ongoing Cyprus talks.

Guterres met representatives from the EU, the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaderships plus the three guarantor nations -- Turkey, Greece and the U.K. -- on Thursday morning at the talks venue in Crans-Montana.

He had left the Swiss resort last Saturday after participating in earlier rounds of discussion.

Guterres's decision to return followed Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's call for the UN head to come back to speed up negotiations on reunification.

"It is very simple. We wanted him to come here and he is coming on Thursday. This is serious business and his role is important," Cavusoglu told reporters on Wednesday.

The Turkish minister went on to say there had been a lack of progress in talks and criticized Greek Cypriot proposals for reunification.

Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci earlier said Thursday must be a “decisive day”.

"[Thursday] is going to an important day. As you know, the secretary-general is arriving for the second day and we hope that with his contribution we will finally conclude an agreement," he added.

These latest round of Cyprus talks in Crans-Montana began on June 28.

The UN is seeking a peace deal to unite Cyprus under a federal umbrella, which could also define the future of Europe's relations with Turkey, a key player in the conflict.

The Eastern Mediterranean island has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks, and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.