UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alexander Downer has called for discretion as regards efforts to finalise a joint declaration that will signal the resumption of the talks.

In statements after being received by President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, Downer, who is departing Friday evening, said “I really think this is a good opportunity to put discretion at the top of the list”.

Downer said he had a “good hour’s talk with the President” today, “on the Cyprus issue and where we are at”.

Noting he will be meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu this afternoon, Downer expressed the view “we are just going through one of those phases where it is important to exercise discretion so I don’t want to say anything more about these meetings at this stage”.

Asked where the talks are standing, Downer said once there is an agreement to start the negotiations, negotiations will begin. “I am not getting into the games of predictions. That’s not what I am paid to do. Let’s put it this way, these are understandably delicate times, and the less we say about the substance of these issues, the better”.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Previous UN – led efforts to reunify the island under a federal roof have failed.

A renewed effort begun in September this year, with meetings between the two negotiators of the two sides as well as a meeting between the leaders of the two communities, with the aim to finalize a joint  declaration that would pave the way for the Cyprus talks to resume