Former Greek Cypriot leader Papadopulos dies at seventy-four

Papadopulos, 74, had been receiving treatment after being recently diagnosed with lung cancer.

Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias said that Papadopoulos was in a critical but stable condition, after visiting him in the hospital room in Nicosia, on Dec. 6.

Papadopulos was leader of the Greek-side of the divided island of Cyprus from February 2003 and February 2008. Greek Cyprus joined the EU during his mandate.

Papadopulos held cabinet posts for 12 years as minister of interior, finance, labour, health and agriculture, and also served as the interlocutor in talks with the Turkish Cypriots in 1976.

Cyprus has been divided since 1964 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves. The peace talks to reunify the island had restarted in June.

The latest attempt to reunify the island had failed in 2004, during Papadopulos term, when the Greek Cypriots rejected the U.N.-sponsored blueprint.