Turkey, Greece welcome relaunch of Cyprus peace talks; reach deal on maritime security

Cyprus' president Nicos Anastasiades, right, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, left, shake hands after a dinner at the Ledra Palace Hotel inside the UN controlled buffer zone that divides the Cypriot capital Nicosia, on Monday, May 11, 2015. The leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus' rival Greek and Turkish speaking communities will relaunch stalled talks aimed at reunifying the island on May 15, a United Nations envoy said. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) (The Associated Press)

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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, shakes hands with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias prior to their meeting in Ankara, Turkey Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Kotzias is in Turkey on an official visit. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) (The Associated Press)

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, shakes hands with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias prior to their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Kotzias is in Turkey on an official visit. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) (The Associated Press)

The Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey have welcomed a decision by Cyprus' rival Greek and Turkish communities to relaunch stalled talks aimed at reunifying the island, calling it an opportunity that should not squandered.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday also vowed to continue to work to improve often-frosty relations and said the countries have reached agreement on maritime security in the Aegean Sea, without providing details on the deal.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and new Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci agreed late Monday to relaunch talks on May 15.

Hopes for a breakthrough got a boost after Akinci, a left-wing moderate, soundly defeated hard-line incumbent Dervis Eroglu in an election last month.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/turkey-greece-welcome-relaunch-of-cyprus-peace-talks-reach-deal-on-maritime-security