A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thursday, July 6, 2017
UN chief to attend Cyprus reunification talks in Switzerland
Secretary-general will join Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders for negotiations to overcome decades-long deadlock
Thursday 6 July 2017
Greek
flag, left, flies in foreground as banner of breakaway Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus, right, flutters next to Turkey's flag recently atop
Suleimiye mosque (AFP)
Secretary-general will join Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders for negotiations to overcome decades-long deadlock
Thursday 6 July 2017
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres will return to Switzerland for
talks on reuniting Cyprus on Thursday, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
Guterres was in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana on Friday - on the
third day of negotiations - to lend his weight to the effort to unite
Cyprus under a federal umbrella.
"The secretary-general feels that his presence in the talks would be
opportune tomorrow. There have been also a number of calls from the
parties for him to return," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told
reporters.
Guterres said on Saturday that a "clear understanding" had been reached
at the talks between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders and their
backers on what was needed to reach a comprehensive agreement to
reunite the island.
Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday he would
submit proposals to overcome a deadlock that had become apparent over
the past week of talks.
"I expect that the other side will show the same good will, to move
forward," he said. "We have to deal with these issues seriously to see a
glimmer of hope, of light for the future."
Cyprus was split following a Turkish invasion in 1974, triggered by a
brief Greek-inspired coup. Turkey supports a breakaway Turkish Cypriot
state in northern Cyprus.
Two issues have proved especially vexing during the reunification talks:
Turkish Cyprus demands for a rotating presidency, and Greek Cypriot
demands that Turkey withdraw all of its 30,000 troops from the island
and renounce its intervention rights.
"They're getting closer but they're not there yet. If this deal is going
to be done it's going to be done with the secretary-general ... They
genuinely have a lot of faith and trust in him," said a diplomatic
source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Everybody knows what they have to give, but it's almost as if they're
waiting for the secretary-general to come back before they show their
cards," said the diplomatic source.