UN Secretary General wants Cyprus to solve tensions by July 1

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called upon Greek and Turkish Cypriots to resolve their differences before July 1, when Cyprus takes over the rotating European Union presidency, in a letter published Tuesday.

This would pave the way for an international conference to overcome the division of Cyprus, Ban wrote to the island’s Greek and Turkish leaders.

The United Nations chief warned that it could become far more difficult to find a solution after July 1, in his letter to Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Dervis Eroglu.