BRUSSELS
The agreement reached by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to resume peace negotiations have been welcomed by European Council members.
The President of the European Commission (EC), José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy praised the cooperation agreement, which hopes to end the drawn-out political dispute on the island of Cyprus.
Releasing a joint statement, Barroso and Van Rompuy said the declaration should help the two sides address matters of substance and achieve rapid results in the negotiations.
The two heads also emphasized the EU’s readiness to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line with the principles on which the 28-nation bloc is founded.
President Barroso's personal representative will contribute actively during the negotiations to the search for constructive solutions, in compliance with EU acquis communitaire to overcome outstanding problems.
After a twenty two month-long pause since the last round of talks, Turkish Cypriot President Dervis Eroglu, and Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Anastasiades are holding a meeting on Tuesday in an UN-controlled buffer zone in Cyprus.
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