Two new crossing points opened for people movement across the Island’s divide on Monday in a move to improve the climate of deadlocked Cyprus negotiations.
The crossing points – at Lefka and Dherynia – are the first new additions since 2010 and took three years to realise.
At Dherynia there were long queues of Greek Cypriots waiting to make the journey to Famagusta – by car or on foot – for the first time in 44 years down Famagusta Avenue.
The opening of more crossings is seen as an essential element of trust building between the two communities that lived in virtual isolation of each other until Turkish Cypriot authorities paved the way for free people movement in 2003.
There are now nine official crossing points between the Turkish-held north of the island and government south.
Five of the crossings have been funded by the European Union with a total outlay of €6.5 mln since 2006.
Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci did not attend any of the official openings as they had done in the past.
There was even a small crowd of Greek Cypriots at Dherynia that voiced opposition against the crossing being made operational.
The European Union as part of its Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community funded the road works for the section in the buffer zone and its northern part.
The crossings at Lefka and Dherynia will be the fourth and fifth crossings funded by the European Union.
Lefka village in the Turkish-held north, is 52 km west of the capital Nicosia. Nestled between mountains and sea, it connects with Karavostasi village (4km) and Xeros (4.5km), in the south with Apliki and Skouriotisa villages.
Dherynia, in the east, is only two kilometres away from the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta.
The crossing point, located on Famagusta Avenue, leads straight into the town – it is the first time Greek Cypriots have been able to use the road since 1974.
Those wanting to visit Famagusta from the government-controlled areas had to make a 40-minute journey.
At Lefka, the overall length of the improved road is 1.26 km, including the buffer zone and its northern part.
At the Dherynia crossing, the length of the improved road is 2.91 km, including the buffer zone and its northern part.
The United Nations has made clear it will not fully engage in a new peace process unless Cypriot leaders are committed into entering negotiations in a spirit of compromise.
The last talks aimed at reunifying the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation collapsed in Switzerland last year after the UN chief failed to get the parties to agree on a post-settlement security arrangement for Cyprus.
It was the first time Cyprus talks involved the guarantor powers of Britain, Greece and Turkey.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third in response to a coup sponsored by the military junta then ruling Greece.
