UN chief mourns death of former president of Cyprus

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday mourned the passing away of Glafcos Clerides, expressing his condolences to the family of the late former president of Cyprus. "The secretary-general was saddened to learn of the passing of the former president of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides today in Nicosia," said a statement issued here late Friday by Ban's spokesman. "Mr. Clerides was a highly respected leader of his country and of the Greek Cypriot community," the statement said. "He was known for his strong support for the reunification of Cyprus and for many years played a central role in the UN-facilitated talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement," the statement said. Clerides, 94, died on Friday at a clinic in the capital city of Nicosia. Serving two presidential terms between 1993 and 2003, he has dedicated in politics to trying to reunify the ethnically split island country and guided it to European Union membership. He initiated talks with the Turkish Cypriot community in 1968, aimed at bringing back together the island's Greek and Turkish Cypriots after they fell apart shortly after independence from Britain in 1960.