Cyprus leaders agree to lift visa requirements

PanARMENIAN.Net - The leaders of the Greek and Turkish parts of Cyprus have appeared to make progress, with both sides promising to step up peace talks and relax visa regulations on the divided island, according to News.com.au.

The four-hour meeting in Nicosia on Friday, May 16, took place after talks had been stalled for months and following the recent election of Mustafa Akinci, a moderate, as president of Turkish Cyprus.

The sides agreed to meet at least twice a month, with the next session scheduled for May 28.

As a measure of good faith, Akinci agreed that southerners will no longer need a visa to cross to the Turkish north, said UN Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide.

Also, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiade presented Akinci with coordinates of 28 minefields, as a gesture from his side.

Akinci said the meeting was "productive" while Anastasiades said there was a "positive climate," according to local broadcasters.

The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north following a Greek-led coup seeking a union with Athens.

Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but membership only applies to the southern area. The Turkish Cypriots remain isolated, with the country only recognised by Ankara and remaining heavily dependent on Turkey.

Uniting the island remains a complicated task and compensation for people affected by the conflict, including tens of thousands displaced, is a key concern.

Cyprus pulled out of talks in October after Turkey said it planned to explore for gas and oil off the island's southern coast.