MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that a new round of the talks on the Cyprus dispute that took place in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana had ended with a failure of the parties to reach an agreement.
"This is a disappointing outcome. The UK continues to be a strong supporter of a settlement. Now is a time for calm reflection and consideration of future steps. The commitment of the UK to a deal on Cyprus remains unwavering," Duncan said, as quoted in the Foreign Office's statement.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish troops entered the island claiming that the move sought to protect Cypriot Turks from the Greek community. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was declared in 1983 and is recognized only by Turkey while the international community considers is as a part of the Republic of Cyprus.
