Cyprus president: Talks proposal could bring swift results

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Greek Cypriot president of ethnically divided Cyprus on Monday urged Turkish Cypriots to accept his proposal to deal first with the toughest issues holding back progress in troubled reunification talks rather than trying to address everything in one go.

President Nicos Anastasiades said a peace deal could come much quickly than expected, if the issues of post-reunification security and how much territory each side would administer are settled before other issues such as governance are taken up.

The talks, which have marked significant progress over the last two years, are now at a standstill while both sides try to set the terms for a final summit in Geneva, Switzerland. United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide is expected to shuttle between the two sides this week in search of a compromise formula paving the way for the summit.

Anastasiades said breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci’s proposal to dive into a give-and-take process on all issues at the summit would lead nowhere and risk foisting responsibility for the failure on his shoulders.