A demonstration for the opening of new crossing points took place on Friday afternoon organised by the Bicommunal Initiative “United Cyprus” at the Agios Dometios checkpoint. With slogans such as “Open new roads, reunite Cyprus” and “Together united for more crossings”, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots handed a letter to a UNFICYP representative addressed to the UN Secretary-General and distributed leaflets to passing drivers.

According to the organizers, since the opening of the crossing points, there have been over 150 million crossings.

A joint statement by the organizations and political parties supporting the initiative was read in both Greek and Turkish and was attached to the letter given to the UNFICYP representative for the UN Secretary-General.

“We demand the immediate opening of new crossing points across Cyprus to facilitate the daily lives of thousands of citizens who depend on them for work, education, healthcare, medical treatment, economic transactions, and social interactions”, it read.

They noted that the ongoing deadlock in negotiations between the two leaders continues to negatively impact progress on all issues. “Immediate measures are required to reduce delays at the existing crossing points, especially at Agios Dometios”, they stated.

“We stress the importance of implementing the decisions of the UN Security Council and the reports of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, that highlight the need to facilitate daily contact and communication between people as a necessary step towards promoting peace and reunification”, they noted.

However, they noted that while their attention is focused on improving daily life, the primary goal remains the resolution of the Cyprus issue and the reunification of Cyprus in a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Guterres framework. “This is the only viable prospect for a peaceful future for the next generations,” they concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

On October 15, 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted an informal dinner with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in New York, encouraging “the leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement.”

At the meeting, President Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to have an informal meeting in a broader format in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to have a meeting in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings, which is set to take place on Monday.

Source: Parikiaki.com