NICOSIA (AP): The president of Cyprus said on Monday he was canceling an annual military exercise during negotiations to reunify the divided island.

President Dimitris Christofias announced the cancellation of the 'Nikiforos' exercise, which has frequently caused tension with the Turkish Cypriots, after peace talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. The exercise was to run from Tuesday to Sunday.

Christofias said this was in line with a cabinet decision to urge U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to back an agreement permanently scrapping regular military exercises held separately by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot forces.

Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974 when Turkey invaded in response to a coup by Athens-backed supporters of uniting the island with Greece.

Monday's meeting between Christofias and Talat at the disused Nicosia airport inside the buffer zone splitting the island was the fifth since the two leaders relaunched stalled peace talks last month.

The two were focusing on power sharing disputes, which remain at the heart of the Cyprus problem. The Greek Cypriot majority is seeking a reunification under a strong federal government but the Turkish Cypriots prefer more a devolved union.

United Nations envoy Alexander Downer, who is moderating the talks, said the two leaders would meet again on Oct. 22.

``Inevitably, there's a growing understanding between the two side,'' Downer said. ``It's going to take lots of time and it's going to be a difficult negotiation. There no question of that.''

Christofias made no comments about the talks but has expressed willingness to discuss a rotating presidency system between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Other thorny issues include security guarantees and property settlement claims by mostly Greek Cypriots made refugees by the 1974 invasion.