Cyprus’ rival political leaders will re-start unity negotiations in Geneva in January in a bid to bring the divided island back together again.

Talks between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci broke down at a Swiss resort earlier over how much territory stolen by Turks during an unlawful 1974 invasion should be returned to Cypriots.

The two will miss their self-imposed end-of-year deadline for making a deal that has eluded two dozen diplomats and a raft of politicians, envoys, and mediators since the 1974 invasion that led to Turkey occupying the northern third of the island.

“Turkey will also be present along with the other two guarantor states, which is why we believe that Greece and Turkey play an important role. They are the closest to the two communities in Cyprus. Great Britain will also be a Guarantor State. We hope to find a solution that will be acceptable to all parties,” said Ak?nc?, Euronews reported.

Anastasiades wants Turkey to remove its 35,000-strong army but that could be settled when the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey join the talks as security guarantors.

Turkish-Cypriots want their army to stay in place to guarantee their security but Anastasiades said that could be a deal breaker.