Cyprus leaders agree to expand intercommunal cooperation

Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides held a two-hour meeting at the UN Special Representative's residence in the buffer zone. Following the talks, the parties announced progress on issues aimed at improving the daily lives of citizens and strengthening ties between the island's two communities. The meeting took place in a constructive and positive atmosphere, and the leaders agreed to continue their dialogue in the near future.

One of the key decisions was the creation of a consultative body involving civil society. According to Erhürman, work on forming the structure will begin shortly. In addition, the parties agreed on the preparation of a six-month plan for religious services across the island, with the possibility of further extending the program.

The leaders paid special attention to health and economic issues. Continued joint work to combat foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed, and an agreement was reached to establish a subcommittee on products with protected geographical indication and designation of origin, including halloumi. Erhürman noted that he expects Bureau Veritas inspections to begin as early as June.

The operation of checkpoints was also discussed during the meeting. The Turkish Cypriot side stated a noticeable improvement in the situation at the Metehan crossing and reminded of the launch of document processing at the Bostancı checkpoint. However, regarding the opening of new crossing points, Erhürman admitted that no significant progress has been achieved yet.

After the talks, Christodoulides expressed satisfaction with the increased involvement of UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the Cyprus process. A written UN statement also emphasized that the meeting was held in a positive atmosphere and accompanied by a productive exchange of views on key settlement issues.