Anastasiades, Akinci meeting for informal talks in Nicosia

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and the leader of the island's Turkish-occupied north were meeting in the UN bufferzone in Nicosia on Friday for informal talks aimed at restarting stalled reunification negotiations.

Friday's talks are being hosted by Elizabeth Spehar, head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), at her residence in the UN-controlled area of the former Nicosia airport.

Amid a spike in tension as a result of Turkish drilling for natural gas off the island's coast, Anastasiades stressed the need for a solution that will address the concerns of the Turkish-Cypriot community but will also safeguard the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus.

"I am coming into the talks... with a significant amount of goodwill and determination... to work towards a solution that will be accepted by the international factor, but...