31.   Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati said Wednesday he doubted the United States would succeed in brokering a settlement between the rivals.

32.   A senior State Department official arrived in Athens on Wednesday as part of a US effort to broker a settlement on the divided island of Cyprus this year.

33.   An effort by the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe to broker a settlement has so far produced few results.

34.   Egypt and Ethiopia have led efforts to mediate an end to the dispute, and France has also been reported to be ready to try to broker a settlement.

35.   The settlement was brokered by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

36.   UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali is to visit Yemen and Eritrea next week in a bid to broker a settlement to the dispute.

37.   The fresh US initiative comes as Iran, which borders northern Iraq, steps up efforts to broker a settlement.

38.   The latest Iranian initiative comes as the United States steps up efforts to broker a settlement in northern Iraq.