Greek Cypriots declared today they were ready to take part in talks on a United Nations peace plan for the divided island.
They were the first of the four parties involved - Turkey, Greece, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots - to sign up for talks on the plan announced last week for a power-sharing government.
"The National Council suggested to the president of the republic to tell the Secretary General of the UN that it accepts to negotiate his proposal to settle the Cyprus problem," a government spokesman told reporters.
The council is an all-party committee on the Cyprus issue that has divided Greek and Turkish communities for three decades.
