Reunification of Cyprus seems imminent

geneva/nicosia - Representatives of the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus start Monday in Geneva to the final stage of talks on reunification. Since 1974, life separated the two groups on the island after Turkish troops occupied the northern part.

Over the past year and a half has been talk by the Parties to the United Nations reunification of the two parts. This time, the Parties shall take directly across from each other at the negotiating table instead. There is also a seat for a British diplomat. Britain is the former colonial ruler.

The UN's new secretary general, António Guterres, the forthcoming negotiations ' dubbed as a historic opportunity. 'The Turks and Greeks in Cyprus had before the talks ' the best and last chance' on a settlement.

The Turkish leader Mustafa Akinci and his Greek counterpart Nikos Anastasiades, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, have both shown positive recently. Cyprus has 1.2 million inhabitants, of whom two-thirds of Greek origin. Since 2004, the country joined the EU.