Rival Cypriot leaders signalled renewed commitment to reviving a long-stalled peace process during a meeting on Thursday, the United Nations said.
It was the first face-to-face meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides of the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and Tufan Erhurman, the newly elected leader of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, who took office in October. Talks were held at the UN compound in Nicosia in the presence of UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin.
In a statement, the UN said both leaders agreed to move the process forward and to take part in a broader informal meeting to be convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, following a March summit in Geneva.
The leaders pledged to meet as often as needed and to work toward tangible results, while the UN cautioned that confidence-building measures were not a substitute for a comprehensive settlement.
Cyprus has been divided since a 1974 Turkish invasion. Reunification talks have repeatedly failed, most recently in 2017.
