Cyprus Deal Talks Collapse

 

U.N.-sponsored talks in Switzerland aimed at ending a stalemate that has kept the island of Cyprus divided for more than four decades have ended without an agreement.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday, "Unfortunately...an agreement was not possible and the conference was closed without the possibility to bring a solution to this dramatically long-lasting problem."

 

Conference participants in the United Nations' attempt to reunite the island included the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders and representatives of the three guarantor powers -- Greece, Turkey and former colonial ruler Britain. Senior European Union officials were also in attendance.

 

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and later occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-inspired uprising seeking union with Greece. Turkey maintains 35,000 Turkish troops in north Cyprus. The Greek community views them as a danger and wants them to leave. The Turkish Cypriots, however, see the troops as a guarantee of their safety.

 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the main sticking point in the Swiss talks was Greek and Greek Cypriot insistence that Turkey withdraw all of its troops from the island and for military intervention rights to be abolished.

 

Guterres said even though the talks had collapsed "that doesn't mean that other initiatives cannot be developed in order to address the Cyprus problem."

 

The secretary-general said, "The United Nations role is the role of a facilitator and we will be always at the disposal of the parties willing to come to an agreement..."

 

联合国为结束塞浦路斯40多年分裂状态在瑞士举行的会谈破裂，最终无法达成协议。

联合国秘书长古铁雷斯星期五说：“遗憾的是，这次会议无法达成协议，没能为这一拖延已久的问题找到解决方案。”

参加这次会谈的包括希腊裔和土耳其裔塞浦路斯领导人，以及希腊、土耳其和前殖民统治者英国这三个担保方的代表。欧盟高级官员也出席的会谈。

1974年，塞浦路斯的希腊裔武装为加入希腊发动起义，土耳其为此出兵入侵塞浦路斯，随后占领了塞浦路斯北方三分之一的土地。土耳其在北塞浦路斯驻扎着3万5千人的部队。希腊裔社区认为他们是威胁，希望驻军撤走；土耳其裔塞浦路斯人却把驻军看做是对自己安全的保障。

土耳其外长恰武什奥卢说，瑞士会谈的主要障碍是希腊和希腊裔塞浦路斯人坚持要求土耳其把驻军全部撤走，并废除军事干预的权利。

联合国秘书长古铁雷斯说，虽然瑞士会谈破裂，“但这并不意味着不能寻找解决塞浦路斯问题的其他办法。”

古铁雷斯说：“联合国发挥的是协调者的作用，只要会谈各方有达成协议的意愿，我们随时愿意效劳。”

 

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