President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar took divergent approaches in their first substantial meeting to discuss matters related to the Cyprus issue, with discussions primarily focusing on new checkpoints between the two communities.
Christodoulides presented an eight-point package that would benefit both communities, while Tatar focused solely on opening the Mia Milia and Louroujina chekpoints.
The proposal presented by Christodoulides includes crossing points at Pyroi-Athienou, Mia Milia, Kokkina, and Louroujina, alongside initiatives such as a Youth Technical Committee, a Truth Commission, and a Civil Society Advisory Committee for the Cyprus issue.
Despite no immediate agreement being reached during the nearly two-hour meeting, the two sides agreed to continue discussions through their negotiators, leaving the possibility open for another leaders’ meeting in the near future.
“I submitted a package of proposals with eight points that concern crossing points and other ideas which I discussed with the UN Secretary-General in New York, who was positive about them”, Christodoulides said after returning to the Presidential Palace.
Tatar requested more time, stating he was not in a position to make decisions during the meeting. The Turkish Cypriot leader showed interest in discussing only the Mia Milia crossing point, while rejecting Greek Cypriot proposals.
The meeting, held under the auspices of UN Special Representative Colin Stewart at the Nicosia airport, resulted in a joint statement emphasising that both leaders believe new checkpoints are crucial for promoting contact between the two communities and strengthening economic ties.
The two leaders are expected to meet again in the coming days to continue discussions on new crossing points, according to the joint statement issued by the UN mission in Cyprus.
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