Cyprus talks diplomacy gains momentum

The United Nations will send a senior official to Cyprus at the end of this month for talks with Turkish and Greek Cypriot officials in a bid to assess chances for the resumption of reunification talks between the two parties.

Kieran Prendergast, the U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs, will travel to Cyprus on May 28. He is also expected to hold talks in Turkey and Greece.

Prendergast's talks are expected to speed up diplomatic efforts for the resumption of talks on a U.N. plan for reunification that collapsed last year because of Greek Cypriot rejection. The talks also come after a Greek Cypriot envoy, Tassos Tjonis, presented Greek Cypriot objections to last year's plan in ongoing talks in New York with U.N. officials.

Greek Cypriots presented 10 objections to the U.N. plan on issues concerning, among other things, return of refugees, property rights and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island.