President Nicos Anastasiades has called a meeting of his negotiating team on Wednesday, ahead of the Geneva talks on Cyprus problem in January. The meeting taking place at the presidential retreat in the Troodos mountains, commenced at 10.30 local time.

On Friday, the President is scheduled to travel to Athens for a meeting with the Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras. The Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Greece are going to attend the meeting.

President Anastasiades is set to meet the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci again on Januray 4th, and most probably on the 7th as well, before the talks in Geneva.

Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides has said that the efforts ahead of Geneva are being intensified, pointing out that we are at a crucial juncture now. All efforts,he said, aim at creating those conditions at the negotiating table that would help yield a positive outcome on the discussion for security and guarantees in Geneva.

The Permanent Secretaries of the MFA of Greece and Turkey were scheduled to meet today in Ankara, to discuss about a possible meeting between the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Tayip Erdogan.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.
President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been engaged in UN-backed talks since May 2015 with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

Anastasiades and Akinci decided on December 1 to meet in Geneva on January 9, 10 and 11, 2017. On the 12th of January the Conference of Cyprus will begin in Geneva.