UN: Cyprus rivals need to keep commitment to reunification

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution encouraging Greek and Turkish Cypriots "to sustain their commitment" to reunifying the divided Mediterranean island following the collapse of talks earlier this month.

The council welcomed progress made by leaders of the two communities and urged them to focus their efforts on reaching agreement on outstanding issues, saying "the status quo is unsustainable."

Cyprus was divided into a Turkish-speaking north and a Greek-speaking south in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup aimed at unifying Cyprus with Greece.

The resolution adopted by the council on Thursday extends the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Cyprus until Jan. 31, 2018. It asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conduct a strategic review of the mission within four months.