Cyprus said on Wednesday that working and technical groups striving to set the groundwork for the start of reunification talks to end the decades-old division of the eastern Mediterranean island have made some progress, reported dpa.
"The thorny issues of the past, including the economy and relations with the European Union, constitutional issues and other works issues involving joint rule have made some progress, while in others there has not been substantial progress," said George Iacovou, Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias' chief aide in the talks.
"Efforts are continuing and vary from one group to another ... We are trying," Iocovou added following talks in Athens with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyianni.
Last week, Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said they could not agree on when they should launch a new round of reunification talks.
UN officials had hoped that the direct talks could start by the end of June.
The two leaders agreed to meet again in the second half of June to make a new assessment of progress and plan to consider civilian and military confidence-building measures.
Christofias has said working and technical groups from both sides of the divided Mediterranean island were having problems trying to narrow their differences before leaders begin peace negotiations.
A panel of six working groups and seven technical committees, from both sides of the ethnic divide, are covering preparatory reunification issues ranging from environmental protection, health, security, power-sharing, culture, ways of linking the island's two economies as well as property and territory disputes.
With newly-elected Christofias in office, expectations are running high for a breakthrough in peace efforts to reunite the island which has been divided since 1974 after Turkey invaded the northern third in response to an Athens-led coup to reunite the island with Greece.
UN attempts to reunify the island have repeatedly stalled.
The latest was in 2004 when former president Tassos Papadopoulos led the Greek Cypriot rejection of a UN reunification plan in a referendum - although Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly voted in favour.
Only the southern part of Cyprus is a member of the European Union, while the Turkish Cypriots have repeatedly called on the bloc to end an economic embargo on the northern part of the island, which is only recognized internationally by Turkey.
The two divided sides of Cyprus have agreed in principle to rejoin the island as a bizonal federation, but until now have not been able to agree a procedure.