Christodoulides Proposes Three Dates for Talks on New Crossing Points

Greek Cypriot media reported on the meeting between Christodoulides and Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), as well as Stewart’s subsequent discussions with President Tatar.

In its coverage, Fileleftheros newspaper stated that Christodoulides proposed meeting with Tatar during the second half of January to discuss the opening of new crossing points. The newspaper also highlighted that Stewart, following his meeting with Christodoulides, emphasized that constructive cooperation and efforts are ongoing regarding this issue.

Stewart described the discussions on the opening of new crossing points as consistently constructive and expressed optimism about the leaders meeting soon to share their perspectives before reaching a common understanding on the issue. He also noted positive signals from both sides and the leaders' commitment to thorough preparation, which he described as a positive development.

In an interview with Haravgi newspaper, Stewart refrained from providing details about the upcoming visit of UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo but cautiously expressed optimism when asked about the potential willingness of President Tatar to meet with Christodoulides.

Meanwhile, Politis reported that Stewart believes a mutually agreeable solution will be found to open new crossing points, following separate talks with the leaders. The newspaper also noted that the Turkish Cypriot side had raised the possibility of opening the Yiğitler-Pile road and facilitating access for residents of Akıncılar (Luricina) to the Limya road.

Alithia newspaper, however, covered the developments under the headline "No Steps Taken by Christodoulides and Tatar on Agreement Reached at Informal Dinner," while Haravgi mentioned that Tatar had not accepted the opening of the Athienou and Erenköy crossings.