CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday said that he saw a "constructive and good start" of the new round of the Conference on Cyprus which kicked off here Wednesday.
Speaking at a press point after the opening of the Conference in Switzerland's resort town of Crans-Montana, Eide said that he had a good opening session with the guarantors, with the two sides, and with the European Union as an observer.
"I haven't said it's not the last chance but I haven't said it is the last chance, but I reiterate, it is the best chance. And after this morning, I feel even better about this chance," he told reporters.
Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Conference on Cyprus, told reporters that the ongoing Conference is an "historic opportunity" to solve a problem that has been there for decades.
"What we heard this morning gave us the hope and the conviction that the leaders and the three guarantors have come to this Conference with the determination to overcome the challenges and resolve the issues," he said.
The UN official added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive to the talks later this week.
The new round of the Conference on Cyprus under the auspices of the United Nations started Wednesday morning here in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana with a plenary session.
Participants of Wednesday's conference include Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, as well as foreign ministers from Turkey and Greece.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and cabinet Minister Alan Duncan were also participated a working dinner here Tuesday night, but they left Crans Montana Wednesday morning for parliament voting in London.
"They have able representation here and they are monitoring the situation. We have the full commitment of the UK to work on finding a solution on the Cyprus problem," Eide said.
The UN official also said that both Johnson and Duncan had said that they are aiming at coming back when time permits.
