Discussions on the territory issue between Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot, leader Mustafa Akinci, scheduled to resume on Sunday in Mont-Pelerin, Switzerland, will last for two days, according to the UN programme for the talks at the Swiss resort.

UN spokesperson in Cyprus, Aleem Siddique, told CNA that the UN have sent letters to the two sides to confirm that talks in Mont Pelerin will resume on Sunday the 20th of November and will finish on Monday the 21st of November. He said that both sides have accepted the letters and acknowledged receipt.

Invited to say whether the talks may be extended, Siddique said that this is up to the two sides, adding that the UN do not have any timetables. Our job is to facilitate the two sides in any way we can assit them, he added. At the same time he noted that the UN team facilitating the talks is scheduled to leave Mont-Pelerin on Tuesday morning.

Furthermore, the UN spokesperson in Cyprus said that the two sides are not currently having any meetings in Cyprus and will resume their talks on Sunday morning in Switzerland “picking up their agenda from exactly where they left it in Mont-Pelerin last week”.

Siddique noted that there will be a photo opportunity for the media at the beginning of the talks on Sunday morning, at 0900 local time.

Anastasiades and Akinci held negotiations on the territory and other outstanding issues interdependently in Mont-Pelerin on November 7-11. Their talks will resume on Sunday at the Swiss resort with a view to reach convergences on the territorial adjustment criteria.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May last year with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.