EU chief urges new Cypriot leader to talk with Turkish north

(BRUSSELS) - EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday urged new Cyprus President Demetris Christofias to swiftly begin talks with leaders in the divided island's Turkish north.

"I would strongly encourage you to grasp this chance and without delay start negotiations under United Nations auspices with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community on a comprehensive settlement," he said in a statement.

European officials are keen to see a solution to the Cyprus problem which has spilled over to affect such issues as Kosovo and Turkey's EU ambitions.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband in London also hailed the election results as providing a "renewed sense of hope among both communities on the island that progress towards a comprehensive settlement can be achieved during 2008."

Christofias, a Greek Cypriot who was elected Sunday, has pledged renewed contacts with rival Turkish Cypriots on the divided Mediterranean island.

EU member Cyprus has been split since Turkish troops invaded in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at union with Greece. A UN peacekeeping force has been on the island since communal unrest first broke out in 1963.

The divided island became a member of the European Union in 2004 after Greek Cypriots voted "no" in a referendum on reunification while the Turkish-Cypriots voted "yes".

Immediately after the Communist Party chief's victory in the presidential election was announced Sunday, Christofias agreed to talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in a new bid to reunify the island.

Barroso congratulated Christofias on his victory, noting that the new Cypriot leader had last December conveyed his "determination to work for a solution for the Cyprus problem."

The EU commission chief promised he would "strongly support" the efforts to reconcile the two sides of the divided island.

A Turkish-Cypriot diplomat told AFP: "We'd like to think that the policy of the new president will be different from that of his predecessor," in particular regarding direct trade between fellow EU nations and the island's Turkish north "so as to reduce the economic gap."

"We can expect more flexibility from the Greek Cypriots," on the issue, echoed Amanda Akcakoca, an analyst at the European Policy Centre in Brussels.

That would be a symbolic yet significant gesture as the outgoing president Tassos Papadopoulos was implacably opposed, she added.

So far Nicosia has only agreed to unblock some 260 million euros (386 million dollars) in aid to the Turkish Cypriot community. Of this, only a small fraction has been used due to the lack of cooperation between the two sides of the island.

Only Turkey recognises the Turkish-Cypriot statelet and the impasse has affected Turkey's own moves towards EU membership.

In 2006 Cyprus, angered at Ankara's refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships, forced its fellow EU members to freeze eight of the 35 policy chapters which candidate nations must successfully complete to join.

The Cyprus problem has also had an impact on the question of recognising Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, which a large majority of the 27 EU member states have pledged to recognise or already done so.

Cyprus remains among the few EU members refusing to follow suit.