Eide : “Discussions more intense than ever” 

The current conversation between the leaders of Cyprus is taking place at a much more intense phase than ever before, said Espen Barth Eide, the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary General on Cyprus.
“We are moving forward” but “we have still issues to deal with” he noted.
The UN top official said that the leaders of the two communities will take stock tomorrow of the first round of intensified talks that took place in November.
On Wednesday, during their last meeting for this round of intensified talks, they will also decide how to proceed with their next meetings. “Tomorrow is time to take stock and then there will be more meetings in December” he said.
He said that with November`s intense phase, the leaders had the ability to look much more interdependently on a number of issues, an ability they didn`t have before.
Eide went on to say that “traditionally one would have gone away from the island”, but “we have been adamant to say that even this intense phase should happen here in Cyprus, but in such a way that we don`t have to take stock after every single meetings”.
He further spoke of the “significant interest from the international community” and noted a number of incoming visits, starting with that of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week. He will be followed by the US Secretary of State John Kerry and later by the Chinese Foreign Minister.
“We are also discussing how to make most of this international support, because any settlement will also have some international dimensions and UN dimensions to them” Eide noted.
He added that discussions are taking place in good mood, noting that “its hard work”.
“We are moving forward, we have still issues to deal with” Eide said.
Asked if one should expect good news, he noted that the conversation takes place at a much more intense phase than ever before. Both leaders feel that this way of organizing talks has been very constructive and that it will enable to look interdependently on many different issues, he added.
“I am sure they will continue to do so” he said.
Asked if the next set of intensified talks will conclude in December, Eide referred to tomorrow`s decisions by the leaders. “I am not going announce what they will say, that will be their decision” he added.