President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will hold their first substantive meeting on Monday to discuss new checkpoints, following previous social encounters.
Expectations remain low as the Turkish Cypriot side insists on opening only the Mia Milia crossing point while rejecting Greek Cypriot proposals for additional crossings at either Pyroi or Kokkina.
The Greek Cypriot side has linked its support for the Mia Milia crossing to the opening of another checkpoint.
Monday’s meeting will reveal whether President Christodoulides maintains this position or agrees to proceed with Mia Milia first.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said a positive outcome on new crossings is possible if Turkey shows genuine political will. He emphasised that discussions cannot proceed if the other side insists only on Mia Milia.
Tatar rejected what he called “transit crossing points” at Kokkina and Athienou, claiming they would not benefit the Turkish Cypriot community. He cited congestion at the Agios Dometios crossing, where lanes have been increased to three, as justification for opening Mia Milia instead.
The meeting comes ahead of an expected February visit by UN official DiCarlo, part of preparations for a planned multilateral conference on Cyprus.
Both sides have expressed hope for a positive outcome, with Letymbiotis noting that the Greek Cypriot side has demonstrated its constructive stance through specific proposals.
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