Despite high hopes that a deal could be achieved, negotiations between the legal government of Cyprus and the northern Turkish-Cypriot community at the Mont Pelerin resort in Switzerland ended without any progress, after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the territorial aspect of the dispute. “Despite their best efforts, they have not been able to achieve the necessary further convergences on criteria for territorial adjustment that would have paved the way for the last phase of the talks. The two sides have decided to return to Cyprus and reflect on the way forward,” the United Nations said in a statement. The latest round of U.N.-brokered talks between Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had been underway for two days. The Cypriot government’s spokesperson, Nikos Christodoulidis tweeted after the talks: “Unfortunately there was no deal on the territorial criteria…”. After the breakdown in talks, the Turkish-Cypriot side was quick to lay blame on the Greek-Cypriot side, claiming that President Nicos Anastasiades adopted a maximalist approach in the talks. Nikos Christodoulidis said it was not a good night for Cyprus, adding that it was not possible to reach a deal due to the stance of the Turkish-Cypriot side. The two negotiating teams will return to Cyprus and plan their next moves.