Progress reached in Cyprus peace talks, says UN's special advisor

The special adviser of the U.N. Secretary-General (SASG) on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, said after a meeting with Turkish Cypriot Leader Mustafa Ak?nc? on Nov. 24 that progress has been reached on a number of issues in recent peace talks. Eide was speaking a day before the two leaders from both sides of divided Cyprus were scheduled to meet in Nicosia as part of talks on Nov. 25. 

"Progress has been achieved on some topics during negotiations that intensified in November, and on other topics we have seen how we need to organize ourselves," he said after a meeting with Ak?nc? that lasted around two hours. 

The last round of a total of six talks in November between the two Cypriot leaders, Ak?nc? and Greek Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades, was scheduled to take place on Nov. 25. 

The Turkish Cypriot negotiator in talks, Özdil Nami, Deputy SASG Lisa Buttenheim, Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Erhan Erçin, and Turkish Cypriot Presidential Spokesman Bar?? Burcu also attend the meeting with Eide and Ak?nc?. 

Financing of a possible solution

Commenting on the issue of financial support for a possible solution process on the island, Eide said firstly the areas that need to be prioritized should be defined. He particularly referred to the issue of the property on Cyprus that has yet to be solved. 

Eide said there are countries that are willing to finance the process and private companies could also add to this list of helping parties. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit the island on Dec. 3 as part of a six-nation European tour next week, the State Department said on Nov. 24. 

On Dec. 3 Kerry will travel to the capital Nicosia, where he will "meet with Greek Cypriot...