Athens/Nicosia  -  Greek and Turkish Cypriots will launch the groundbreaking work for new Cyprus reunification talks on April 18, the United Nations mission on the divided Mediterranean island said Wednesday.

The chief aides to Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat along with a panel of experts will hold their first meeting on Friday in order to pave the way for full fledged negotiations to get off the ground by June.

The panel of 13 working groups from both sides of the ethnic divide will cover preparatory reunification issues ranging from environmental protection, health, security, power-sharing, culture, ways of linking the island's two economies as well as property and territory disputes.

With newly-elected Christofias in office, expectations are running high for a breakthrough in peace efforts to reunite the island which has been divided since 1974 after Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-led coup to reunite the island with Greece.

A UN peace plan to reunite the island failed in 2004 when the majority the Greek Cypriots voted against the plan in a referendum, although the Turkish Cypriots overwhelmingly voted in favour. (dpa)