In an effort to boost peace efforts, Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have agreed to open a new crossing point linking their two communities on Cyprus during United Nations peace talks yesterday.
The remote crossing point was long demanded by locals living on both sides in the mountainous area of the Mediterranean island.
The crossing will be under escort of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, which has been in place on the island since 1964, after the outbreak of inter-communal violence.
From Reuters: “The checkpoint, known as Yesilirmak in Turkish and Limnitis in Greek, will be the seventh crossing linking the island’s estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots, separated by a U.N.-policed buffer zone splitting the island from east to west.”
The visits will be made by minibuses every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Travel by ambulances, fire engines and water tanks, were also sanctioned during the talks.
In May 2008, peace talks began between the leaders of the two communities committed to working towards “a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”