World Bulletin / News Desk

U.N. Secretary-General’s Envoy on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide on Friday said the U.N. Security Council voiced support for Cypriot leaders over the ongoing peace talks. 

Eide said he informed the council nearly a week ago about the pace of the negotiations, which garnered “unique” and “positive” support from the members for Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders, Mustafa Akinci and Nicos Anastasiades.

The UN envoy said that only the Cypriots could resolve the Cyprus issue, and that others had for years been trying and failing. 

Eide's remarks came hours after his meeting with President Akinci at the presidential palace in Lefkosa, in the Turkish Cypriot side. 

The island of Cyprus has been divided into Turkish Cypriot government in the northern third and Greek Cypriot administration in the southern two-thirds after a 1974 military coup by Greece was followed by the peace operation of Turkey as a guarantor power in Cyprus.