A number of convergences has been identified in the issue of citizenship, as UN – led talks for a solution of the Cyprus problem continued today.

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, held Wednesday one more meeting to discuss the chapter of aliens, asylum, citizenship and immigration.

After the meeting, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, Lisa Buttenheim, was asked if there have been any convergences in the citizenship issue. She replied that the leaders “have identified a number of convergences, and some issues they are still apart on. But they had a good discussion“.

Asked why the meeting lasted only one and a half hours, compared to longer meetings in the past, she recalled that the representatives of the two leaders held a meeting in the morning which lasted around three hours.

“And then we came together with the representatives this afternoon, and the leaders joined at 15.30. It was a continuation of the discussion. In total it was about four or five hours of discussions“, she remarked.

Buttenheim added that on the basis of the views exchanged by their representatives this morning, the two leaders continued to discuss the citizenship issue with a view to achieving convergences.

“The atmosphere was warm and friendly“, she pointed out.

Asked whether she could say that the chapter on citizenship has now been closed, she noted that the two meetings devoted to this issue have taken place already (Monday and Wednesday), “but I wouldn’t call anything closed as such“.

The leaders will meet again on Friday September 16th, to discuss the economy