President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman on Thursday agreed to a joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, when she will be on the island early December, according to a press statement by the UN Spokesperson in Cyprus.

They also expressed their readiness to work towards the next informal meeting in a broader format, to be convened by the Secretary-General, according to the statement issued right after the two leaders’ meeting at the residence of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Nicosia Buffer Zone.

President Christodoulides, asked on his way out by a journalist how the meeting went, said “very well”. Holguin participated in the around one-hour meeting via videoconference from Lima, Peru.

This is the first meeting since Erhürman became the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community.

“The meeting provided the two leaders an opportunity to have their first exchange of views in a cordial atmosphere”, the statement said, adding that “Mr. Erhürman and Mr. Christodoulides looked forward to the visit of Ms. Holguín and agreed to have a joint meeting with her when she will be on the island in early December”.

“They also expressed their readiness to work towards the next informal meeting in a broader format, to be convened by the Secretary-General”, it adds.

Both leaders further agreed to explore other opportunities for joint meetings, it also said.

Furthermore, the leaders instructed their representatives to hold regular meetings in preparation for the visit of Holguín’s visit and, in particular, for the next informal meeting in a broader format, to be convened by the Secretary-General, it 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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.