UNITED NATIONS - UN special envoy Kieran Prendergast will visit Cyprus, Greece and Turkey from May 30 in a new bid to revive talks on the future of Cyprus, the United Nations said Friday.
The tour was announced after the UN under secretary general for political affairs held talks with Tasos Tzionis, an envoy for Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to discuss the Greek Cypriot view on ways to end deadlock over the divided island's future.
A UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said that following the consultations, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had asked Prendergast "to visit the region to listen to the views of all parties on the future of the secretary general's mission of good offices on Cyprus."
Prendergast will be in Cyprus from May 30 until June 2 for talks with Papadopoulos and Mehmet Ali Talat, head of the Turkish Cypriot government in the north of the island, said the spokesman.
Then he will go to Athens and Ankara for "consultations" before returning to New York on June 7 to report to Annan.
The initiative comes more than a year after a UN plan to end the partition failed when Greek Cypriots voted it down in a referendum although it was overwhelmingly supported by Turkish Cypriots.
The United Nations wants clarification on demands made by Greek Cypriots before deciding whether a new peace initiative is feasible.
05/20/2005 17:47 GMT