The Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot members of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus will travel to New York next week, where they will meet UN officials.

The third member of CMP and two officers of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot members` offices are already there to look into the archives of 1963 and 1974 for Cyprus.

In a statement to CNA, the Greek Cypriot member of the Committee Nestoras Nestoros said that the UN archives will be at their disposal from April 24 until May 5. If needed, he added, they will be given an extension.

Responding to a question, he noted that he has been informed by the Greek Cypriot officer who is looking into the archives that they consist of 350 bulky dossiers.

He noted that for the first time there is a common database for the pending cases of missing persons, noting that this will be helpful for the further investigations. Nestoros said that this database is being updated with new data collected and will be enriched with the information of the archives which will be examined by CMP.

Nestoros said that CMP members will also have meetings with UN officials and may meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. However this meeting has not yet been finalized. Nestoros will return to Cyprus on May 12.

Responding to a question, he noted that CMP is currently conducting excavations in Famagusta, Karavas-Elia, the former ELDYK military camp in Agios Dometios, Agia Eirini, at a military area in Voni, at Galatia lake, in Agios Ilarionas, Neo Chorio Kythreas and Athalassa.

Nestoros also referred to the cooperation of his office with the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), noting that members of his office have been educated on geo-information technology and geospatial technologies, which facilitate research with a view to locate possible burial sites. CUT Rector Andreas Anagiotos and Nestoros signed a five-year protocol of cooperation on Thursday.