Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed during a meeting in the capital, Nicosia, Friday to start formal negotiations in three months.

The top U.N. representative in Cyprus says the men also decided to open a key crossing between the divided capital. He said the leaders agreed that the Ledra Street crossing should open and function as soon as "technically possible."

President Christofias said before the meeting that there is no time for delays, and that the talks must succeed. He said failure would be devastating for the futures of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Saturday's talks were also expected to focus on a never-implemented 2006 United Nations-brokered deal to have committees address specific issues dividing Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Cyprus has been split between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island in response to a military coup by the Cypriot National Guard aimed at uniting the island with Greece.

Source: By VOA News