The Cypriot parliament on Monday unanimously ratified Cyprus' accession treaty to the European Union (EU) during a landmark session at the House of Representatives.

Cyprus is the only one of the 10 new EU states not to hold a referendum on accession since it is backed by an overwhelming majority of the population. The extraordinary session of the 56-seat Greek Cypriot parliament voted unanimously.

Cyprus, or at least the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot southern part, will join the EU next May 1 along with Poland, Hungary, Malta, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia and Slovakia.

"It is an historic day in the not-so-long life of our country as an independent republic... the remaining 10 months are a countdown to the start of a new era," House speaker Demetris Christofias said.

Cyprus began accession negotiations in 1998 and led the enlargement process that culminated in the signing of the EU accession treaty in April.

But the failure of a recent UN peace drive to reunite Cyprus after its 29-year division continues to cast a shadow over the island's EU membership.

Although a reunited Cyprus could still join the EU next year, renewed diplomatic efforts to kick-start a new talks between Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos have so far proved unsuccessful.

Political stalemate continues on the island despite Turkish Cypriot authorities easing travel restrictions across the UN-manned Green Line in April.

If there is no UN-brokered peace deal by next May, only the Greek Cypriot south will benefit from EU membership while the Turkish Cypriot north, deep in economic recession, will be left out.

A divided Cyprus joining the bloc would, in turn, threaten Turkey's own EU ambitions.AFP