Eroglu Has 'Old Ideas' - Droutsas

Greek Foreign Minister Demetris Droutsas has criticised Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu for having an approach that is "a reminder of the past, of old ideas," he said in an interview on London Greek Radio (LGR).

Droutsas is currently meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in New York, and said he expects objectivity in Ban's upcoming report on the Cyprus issue.

Whilst in London, Droutsas met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague to discuss Cyprus and other issues. During his contacts last week in Nicosia, he urged Turkey to withdraw its troops from the island and help resolve the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus leaders Demetris Christofias and Dervis Eroglu are in negotiations to reach an agreement on reunifying the island's divided communities. But progress has been slowed by opposing views on the property issue and the Turkish side's insistence on a two-state confederation. The Republic of Cyprus' position is based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single sovereignity and international identity.

In their latest meeting, the two leaders said they had confirmed progress on EU and economic issues, but so far there is no progress on the property issue.