Britain applauds Ledra Street opening

Britain applauds the opening of Ledra Street
checkpoint, describing it as a symbol of new desire for progress towards a
comprehensive settlement. It also reaffirms its commitment to achieve a
settlement to the Cyprus
issue.

A statement
by the British Foreign Office on the opening of Ledra Street crossing in Nicosia
said “we applaud the decision of the two leaders in Cyprus
to open Ledra Street
crossing in Nicosia.
This is a symbol of the new desire for progress towards a comprehensive
settlement”.

The FCO
said it is “crucial that this atmosphere continues and that the work of the
Technical Committees and Working Groups is able to progress.”

The UK government,
the statement notes, “remains committed to achieve a settlement based on a
bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality”, stressing that a
solution must be for Cypriots, by Cypriots”. Our role is not to be
prescriptive, but supportive, encouraging progress, the British FCO statement
concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when
Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third. One of the
main commercial streets in Nicosia,
Ledra Street,
opened Thursday morning for the first time in nearly 40 years. The crossing
point at Ledra will facilitate movement to and from the island’s northern
Turkish occupied areas.

The newly
opened crossing point closed briefly Thursday evening because a number of
uniformed Turkish Cypriot so-called police officers entered the buffer zone, in
violation of the agreement reached between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and
the Turkish Cypriot communities.