VOA标准英语10月-'Elders' Visit Cyprus to Support Talks Between Gr
时间：2019-02-04 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（十月）
From left: Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi in Nicosia, 08 Oct 2008
President Carter, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi are here to urge greater international recognition of recent progress towards a lasting 1 settlement in Cyprus.
On arrival, they lauded 2 Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for their expressed commitment to end to the decades-old dispute.
Ambassador of Slovakia Anna Tourenikova, whose embassy is sponsoring the visit, told VOA News Slovakia has played an important role in keeping an open communication channel between the two communities during the past two decades.
"The process of bi-communal dialogue has lasted already almost 20 years," said Ambassador Tourenikova. "They are coming together, they are discussing issues of common interest, they are listening to each other, and thus they are trying to contribute to the negotiation 3 process and find the solution of the Cyprus problem."
Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat started a new round of talks on September 3.
But in recent weeks reports the process has run into difficulties have been rife 4. In an interview with VOA News, U.N. Spokesman Jose Dias admitted that initial optimism had cooled.
"There was a lot of optimism, a lot of enthusiasm, when the process was re-launched," he said. "I think people are now sitting down and more soberly assessing the situation. We are still cautiously optimistic, we have come along way since March when the leaders started meeting."
Jimmy Carter is no stranger to Cyprus politics; he was responsible for the United States playing part in the ABC Cyprus peace plan in 1978, which failed to produce results.
The 12-point plan, called the ABC plan because of its American, British, and Canadian sponsorship, proposed a bi-regional, independent federal republic.
Former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash told VOA that however symbolic 5, President Carter's visit was welcome news for most Cypriots.
"Knowing his interest in human rights, his visit, though late, maybe useful if he comes with an open mind - he usually does," he said.
Cyprus was split in a 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a Greek-inspired coup 6. Turkish Cypriots live in its north and Greek Cypriots in the south, and numerous attempts to reunite Cyprus have failed.
- The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
- We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
- They lauded the former president as a hero. 他们颂扬前总统为英雄。 来自辞典例句
- The nervy feats of the mountaineers were lauded. 登山者有勇气的壮举受到赞美。 来自辞典例句
- They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
- The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。
- Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
- Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。
- It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
- The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。