Nicosia - President Glafkos Clerides of Cyprus returned yesterday to the UN proximity talks aimed at ending the division of his partitioned island after a two-day boycott.
Mr Clerides, who abstained from the indirect talks amid anger at a UN statement he felt was tilted towards the Turkish Cypriots, met the UN mediator, Mr Alvaro de Soto, yesterday morning. Mr de Soto planned to meet the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, later.
The Greek Cypriot side had been angered at a statement by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, on Tuesday which spoke of an "equal status of the parties" in the talks.