There is still hard work to do but the Cyprus talks are on track, UN Special Advisor for Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has said on Wednesday, during a press conference at the Palais de Nations in Geneva.

Eide praised the determination and leadership of the two leaders, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci who are currently in Geneva with their negotiating teams discussing the internal chapters of the Cyprus issue, while a Conference on Cyprus on the issue of guarantees and security will begin tomorrow.

Referring to the Conference on Cyprus, Eide said that it will initially begin on the Foreign Ministers level (of the three guarantor powers, Greece, the UK and Turkey).

Regarding the submission of maps, expected to take place this afternoon, Eide said that it is an historic moment, because `never before we have had an exchange of maps, or a presentation of maps created by the Cypriot delegations themselves`.

He also underlined that the reunification of Cyprus must take place in compliance with the EU principles, noting that the European Commission is actively engaged in this.

The Republic of Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Cypriot President Anastasiades and T/C leader Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

On December 1st, 2016, they decided to continue their negotiations from January 9th to 11th in Geneva and that on January 12th an international Conference on Cyprus will begin.