Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary – General Farhan Haq has reiterated that both Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations will do their utmost to promote a successful outcome in Cyprus.

During a noon briefing on Monday, Farhan Haq, he spoke of the meeting Ban had with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on the previous day.

“He called their meeting productive and said that he welcomed their leaders’ joint commitment to intensify efforts in line with their stated desire to achieve a comprehensive settlement this year,” Haq said.

The Secretary-General, he added, “noted that the leaders had asked him to step up his personal engagement, and that he stands ready to support them in whatever they may require.”

“He stressed that the period ahead will be crucial for Cyprus, and that both he and the United Nations will do their utmost to promote a successful outcome,” he concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
UN brokered talks resumed in May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof.