NICOSIA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus held a much-anticipated UN-brokered meeting on Monday, focusing on easing movement across the ceasefire line but stopped short of announcing an immediate agreement on opening new crossing points, the UN mission said in a statement.
However, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the goal and agreed to collaborate with the United Nations toward achieving it. Another meeting is planned for the coming days, the statement added.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides presented an eight-point proposal package during his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar at the residence of Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus.
"The leaders both believe that the opening of new crossing points is critical to promote people-to-people contacts, strengthen economic ties, and build trust," the UN statement noted.
Currently, there are nine crossing points along the 185-km-long ceasefire line, which has separated the island's Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities since the Turkish military operation against Cyprus in 1974. These check points facilitate approximately eight million crossings each year.
Ahead of the meeting, Greek and Turkish Cypriot political parties and activists urged bother leaders to open more crossing points. They highlighted how these crossings contribute to reviving and strengthening bonds between the two communities.
The European Commission welcomed the meeting, with a spokesman in Brussels noting that opening additional crossing points in Cyprus fosters building trust. He affirmed the EU's readiness to support all stages of the process through funding and other means. ■
