New U.N. special envoy flies in to prepare Cyprus peace push

"All of us at the U.N. are looking forward to helping in any way we can with the process that, as the secretary general (Ban Ki-moon) pointed out, made an important step forward on Friday," Downer told reporters at Larnaca airport.

"We have been very pleased to see that, and the secretary general was delighted to see that," he added.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and his Greek Cypriot counterpart Demetris Christofias earlier on Friday set Sept 3 as the date when they will begin direct negotiations to end the Cyprus problem.         Â

Reunification talks in the island have been deadlocked since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. reunification blueprint in a referendum, in which Turkish Cypriots approved the so-called Annan plan. Cyprus has been divided since 1964 when Turkish Cypriots forced to withdraw into enclaves.

Downer, the 56-year-old former Australian foreign minister, is making his first trip to the island since being appointed as U.N. special advisor for Cyprus on July 12.

He is tasked with succeeding where many have failed before him -- navigating both sides towards a long elusive peace deal.

Downer is to criss-cross the U.N.-controlled ceasefire line to hold separate meetings with Christofias and Talat on Tuesday before leaving the next day. He is expected to return to launch the much-anticipated talks in early September.

The United Nations, European Union, Washington and London have hailed the decision to revive peace negotiations and pledged full support for the reunification talks.

In February, Christofias was elected as leader on a platform of reviving reunification talks which went nowhere under his hardline predecessor Tassos Papadopoulos. Â

An agreement between Christofias and Talat, both regarded by the international community as "pro-settlement", is seen as the best chance for peace since a U.N. reunification blueprint failed in April 2004.