Left-wing opposition party AKEL and Turkish Cypriot Communal Democracy Party have agreed on the need for the Cyprus talks to resume and for a solution to be achieved as soon as possible.

Delegations of the two parties met on Friday at AKEL`s offices in Nicosia where they also decided to established a joint committee that would work towards the goal to resume the Cyprus talks after the elections in Turkey (end of June).

They also expressed their support towards a federal solution while voicing their opposition towards any other sort of solution, including the one of two states. The two parties agreed that the Cyprus talks must resume from the point they were left last July during the talks at the Swiss resort of Crans Montana.  The leaders of the two parties, AKEL General Secretary Andros Kyprianou and Chairman of the Turkish Cypriot party Cemal Özyiğit placed emphasis on the escalating crisis in the Middle East region and underlined the need for the Cyprus problem to be solved.

In his statements, Kyprianou said that  AKEL will never accept a two states solution, underlining that the only way forward is a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with one sovereignty, one international personality and one citizenship and political equality, as outlined in the UN resolutions.

He also referred to the hydrocarbon reserves found in Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone, saying that they belong to Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and added that the right solution of the Cyprus problem will enable the two communities to exploit those reserves and enjoy any benefits that come along.

In his statements, Ozyigit said that his party supports a solution based on the existing parameters, which are the UN resolutions, the High Level Agreements, the Christofias – Talat convergences, the joint communique of the 11th of February 2014, and the UNSG`s framework, noting that his party is against any solution which falls outside those parameters, like a two states solution.

He pointed out that his party is determined to continue the cooperation with AKEL and intensify it after the elections in Turkey on the 24th of June.

The Republic of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest round of UN-peace talks at the Swiss resort of Crans – Montana ended without an agreement. Talks held under the auspices of the UN aim at reunifying Cyprus under a federal roof.