THE HAGUE -- Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders were due to arrive here Sunday ahead of a key meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, where the rival communities will decide whether to hold referendums this month on a UN reunification plan for the divided island, AFP reported.

Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash will meet with Annan today to discuss the plan, which is regarded as the last chance to reunify the island before the Greek-Cypriot side signs an accession treaty for joining the European Union on April 16.

The internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot side has still not decided whether to back the UN plan to hold the referendum on March 30, after meetings Wednesday and Saturday failed to agree what stance to take.

Government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said Saturday the Greek Cypriot leadership would take the decision at the last minute in The Hague, itself, before Papadopoulos meets Annan.

The government has, however, suggested it will most probably give a conditional "yes" to a referendum on the condition it can still negotiate changes to the UN blueprint.

But Denktash remains bitterly opposed to both the UN peace plan and the idea of putting it to the people. He pressured the Turkish Cypriot Parliament last week not to even debate the issue.

The UN plan foresees a Swiss-style confederation of two component states with one voice in international forums.

Annan had asked the leaders last week to inform him of their positions on the referendum idea after they failed themselves to meet a February 28 deadline to agree on the UN blueprint.

The UN Secretary General has urged both leaders not to be "close-minded" and reject his referendum call, warning that otherwise a united Cyprus would not be able to join the European Union.

Along with the two leaders, the meeting is also due to be attended by senior foreign Ministry aides from the three 'guarantor' powers on the island -- Greece, Turkey and Britain.

Turkey will send its Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Ugur Ziyal, Greece will be represented by top Foreign Ministry official Anastassios Skopelitis and Britain by its special envoy on Cyprus, Lord David Hannay.

The meeting also comes after Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said Friday it was "practically impossible" to reunify the island before Cyprus signs the EU accession treaty in April.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the northern third of the island in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.