Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman have agreed to hold weekly meetings, with the possibility of meeting even more frequently if developments require it.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations following the two leaders’ meeting in the UN-controlled area of the former Nicosia airport. The discussion lasted more than two and a half hours, making it the longest meeting between Christodoulides and Erhürman to date.

Leaving the venue, the Cypriot president limited his comments to saying that “the effort continues” and that it is “on the right track.” According to the UN statement, the meeting was constructive and focused on progress regarding the next steps following the recent visit to Cyprus by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Intensifying the dialogue

The two leaders reaffirmed their appreciation for the UN Secretary-General’s continued involvement in efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue and agreed to intensify their direct contacts.

It was also decided that the members of the Coordinating Committee of the Advisory Body of Civil Society would be announced on Thursday, one of the steps discussed during Guterres’ visit.

The UN statement does not mention an agreement to open new crossing points, despite the issue being high on the agenda. António Guterres had proposed the simultaneous opening of crossing points at Mia Milia and in the Athienou area. The Greek Cypriot side had accepted the proposal, while Tufan Erhürman had expressed reservations.

UN General Assembly as a milestone

Before the meeting, Nikos Christodoulides had said that his aim was to launch intensive and effective consultations, with the week of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September serving as an informal milestone.

The Cypriot president is expected to meet with António Guterres there and brief him on the results of the contacts. Tufan Erhürman is also expected to hold a separate meeting with the UN Secretary-General.

In early September, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguín, is also expected to return to Cyprus. According to Christodoulides, the UN’s work to document the areas of convergence reached during previous negotiations is at a very advanced stage.

The process is intended to prepare for a new informal “5+1” conference, involving the two Cypriot sides, the three guarantor powers—Greece, Turkey and Britain—as well as the United Nations.

Nicosia’s objective is for the conference to lead to a decision to resume negotiations from the point where they broke down at Crans-Montana in the summer of 2017.