EU to relax restrictions on Turkish Cyprus

EU foreign ministers agreed to ease the economic isolation of the Turkish-Cypriot controlled part of Cyprus, in a move designed to bolster efforts to reunify the island.
The measures "aim at enhancing trade and economic integration on the island," the EU ministers said in a statement, adding that they would help "support" both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders in finding a negotiated settlement to end the 34-year division of the island.
The European Union said the rules would lift duties on agricultural products and ease restrictions on companies that carry out services across the so-called Green Line that divides the two communities.
The value limit of personal goods carried by visitors crossing the line also will be raised from EUR135 to EUR260 to encourage economic integration.
The EU has in the past also urged the opening of more crossing points along the Green Line to bolster trust between the two communities.
Measures to ease the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community have been held up for years by Greek Cypriot officials, who fear that opening trade ties with the northern part of the island would mean a de facto recognition of the breakaway state.
Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriot republic, and only the Greek Cypriot part of the island has joined the European Union, in 2004.
Cyprus was split into a Turkish Cypriot north and an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south in 1974, when Turkey invaded after an Athens-backed coup aimed to annex the island to Greece.
New peace talks are due to start this summer.
Efforts to reunify Cyprus had remained stalled since 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN-backed plan in a referendum. Turkish Cypriots endorsed the blueprint. Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreed in March to start full-fledged negotiations after a three-month preparation period.
The aforementioned amendments to the Green Line Regulation are also expected to contribute to the favourable climate on the island, facilitate crossings of persons across the Line, and support the ongoing process towards reaching a comprehensive and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in line with the principles on which the Union is founded, as laid down in Article 6(1) of the EU Treaty.