Leiders van noord- en zuid-Cyprus ontmoeten elkaar voor het eerst in twee jaar (en)

The leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus will meet on Monday (3 July), for the first time since peace talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities failed two years ago.

Cypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos and Mehmet Ali Talat, who leads the Turkish Cypriot community, are scheduled to discuss the fate of more than 2,000 Cypriots missing in past violent conflicts.

It is hoped that the meeting could also play a crucial role in warming relations between the two communities on the island, but some observers think that it is unlikely that the two leaders will discuss anything besides the missing persons.

"There are hopes that they will discuss issues above and beyond the issue of the missing persons," a diplomat close to the process was reported as saying by Reuters.

Cyprus has been divided since a Turkish invasion of the north of the island in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup.

Reunification efforts have stalled since Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations peace plan two years ago, which the Turkish Cypriots approved.

The issue is of crucial importance for Turkey's EU membership bid. Turkey started entry talks with the bloc in October last year.

The EU requires Turkey to recognise Cyprus as well as open its ports and airports to Cypriot vessels and planes.

If Turkey fails to comply with these demands, it faces the threat of the talks being disrupted. Nicosia has made it clear that it could veto the further opening or closing of any of Turkey's negotiating chapters.

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn i has warned of a "train crash" in Turkey's entry talks this autumn.