Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer is tipped to be appointed United Nations special envoy to the Cyprus peace process, quitting politics this week, local media said.

Downer, Australia's longest-serving foreign minister before the conservatives were dumped in November elections, would announce his new role on Wednesday during a speech to pro-Israeli groups in Sydney, Australian newspaper reports said.

"I've made it clear that if the United Nations Secretary General offers Mr Downer a position potentially as an envoy in Cyprus then the Australian government gives that 110-percent support," Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told local radio.

Downer, 56, became foreign minister in March 1996 with the election of conservative Prime Minister John Howard and held the post for almost 12 years, until the victory last year of centre-left Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

Along with New Zealand's government, he helped forge a peace agreement to end a long-running civil war in Papua New Guinea. He also helped secure a U.N.-backed force to end post-independence bloodshed by pro-Jakarta militia in East Timor in 1999.

Downer has been in the United States for much of the last week and "has been in talks with the UN about the job to act as special envoy on Cyprus", The Age newspaper said.

Hopes of reuniting Cyprus, divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities since Turkey invaded in 1974 in response to a brief Greek-inspired coup, have risen since Greek Cypriot Demetris Christofias was elected president in February.

The 30-year stand-off is a hurdle to Turkey's bid to join the European Union and source of tension between NATO allies Greece and Turkey.