'Unbelling' the cat in Cyprus

In Aesop's Fables, a group of mice get together to discuss how to rid themselves of the danger of the cat. After much discussion, they decide to put a bell on it, so that they can hear it when it approaches. Who though, the question then becomes, will bell the cat? The moral of the story is that it is relatively easy to agree on what should be done, but much harder to make the sacrifice when executing the task.

In Chinese lore, the focus is on unbelling the cat. "Let the one who tied the golden bell on the tiger untie it," President Xi Jinping of China once said. He meant that those who create a problem should be responsible for its solution. That's what's supposed to be happening in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana when it comes to the Cyprus conflict. It's all about unbelling the cat in Cyprus this time. 

Is there any hope? Well, the Turks, Greeks, Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and, of course, the British, that is everyone who tied the knot, are there in Crans Montana to untie it. That these people can get together around a table is by itself progress well worth maintaining. 

Some time ago, the question was whether the conference would be with or without preconditions. Some wanted to settle security issues first, and then move on to future settlements. The Greeks and Turks had their usual differences. Yet now, we still have the conference. Looking for a positive sign? That is a huge step in the right direction. It displays political will by itself. We have never been this close to unbelling the cat in Cyprus. 

The last attempt for a resolution was the Annan Plan in 2004. All sides decided to go to a referendum to establish a new federal entity based on the equality of both communities on the island. Some 65 percent of Turkish...