Cypriot leaders to meet next week

Newly elected President Nikos Christodoulides will have his first meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar next week.

The February 23 social meeting will take place at the official residence of Canadian diplomat Colin Stewart, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General to Cyprus.

The meeting will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the UN-protected area of the old Nicosia airport.

Christodoulides won a closely contested presidential election on February 12, after which Tatar called to congratulate him.

Talks between the two Cypriot sides through the United Nations are on a community level.

Christodoulides, elected to represent Cyprus as president internationally, attends reunification talks in his capacity as Greek Cypriot leader.

The former foreign minister says a resumption of the stalled peace talks is his priority and arranged to see Tatar as soon as possible.

The last round of intensive talks collapsed in mid-2017.