Intercommunal talks under UN auspices had began in Beirut in mid-1968.

Glafkos Clerides, president of the House of Representatives, and Rauf Denktash are involved in the first stages of these talks, which will last until 1974.

Although many points of agreement will be arrived at, no lasting agreements will be reached.

Turkish Cypriot proposals emphasize the importance of the local government of each ethnic community at the expense of the central government, whereas the Greek Cypriot negotiating teams stress the
dominance of the central authorities over local administration.