Brussels, 10/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the real start of the negotiations between the two communities on the reunification of Cyprus, on Thursday 11 September, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat expressed his optimism that agreement could be found before the end of the year, or at least before the European elections in June of next year. “I think we'll be able to smooth out the different points of view and settle the problems,” he said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday 10 September. “It has been almost five decades, so we have to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Time is not helpful in finding a solution,” he felt. The future agreement will have to guarantee “political equality” between Greek and Turkish Cypriots within the federation, he said. The settlement should also carry specific guarantees so that neither of the parties is favoured more than the other, Talat said. He also opined that the final agreement should be approved separately by referendum on the same day in both parts of the island. (H.B./transl.rt)