The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, agreed on Wednseday to establish a Technical Committee on Youth, to conduct discussions on demining at the level of the Greek Cypriot Negotiator and the Turkish Cypriot Special Representative, and to work on initiatives related to the environment and the restoration of cemeteries, during their first meeting in Cyprus after the informal meeting in broader format, in Geneva. Moreover, aides were tasked to continue discussions on crossing points and solar energy in the buffer zone.
According to a joint statement by the two leaders, issued by the UN following today’s meeting at the UN-controlled area of Nicosia Airport, “the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, met at their own initiative to follow up on the Geneva informal broader format meeting under the auspices of the Secretary-General.”
It is added that the two leaders “agreed to establish a Technical Committee on Youth and provide by 15 April to the United Nations a list of members”, also agreeing that “the Committee would have 12 members from each side and that all would be under 35 years of age”, while endeavouring “to aim for gender parity.”
It is further noted that the two leaders agreed that “the issue of demining would be discussed at the level of the Greek Cypriot Negotiator and the Turkish Cypriot Special Representative and that they would exchange information on a proportional number of suspected hazardous areas from each.”
They also agreed that the Technical Committee on Environment “would work on initiatives related to the environment and climate change, including the impacts on mining areas, and that the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage would be tasked to work on the restoration of cemeteries.”
On crossing points and solar energy in the buffer zone, it is noted that the leaders had “a constructive exchange” and that they “tasked their representatives to continue discussions of the issues, with the view to finding a mutually acceptable resolution.”
“The two leaders agreed to meet again soon”, the statement concludes.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17-18. Antonio Guterres also announced that he will appoint a new personal envoy on Cyprus to prepare the next steps, while the two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.
