Cyprus united 'by end of 2008'

The decades-long division of Cyprus could be resolved by the end of the year, the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots said today.

"I believe that it won't be a surprise if we solve the problem by the end of 2008," said Mehmet Ali Talat, a day after Dimitris Christofias won Cyprus' presidential election on a pledge to restart stalled talks to reunify the island.