With a spirit of goodwill and hope for mutual understanding, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, attended a long-awaited meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. The meeting took place at the old Nicosia airport, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr. Colin Stewart.
Speaking to journalists before his departure from the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides expressed cautious optimism. “I am going with the understanding that if there is a response from the other side, I am certainly optimistic. We shall see. I’m going in good faith, based on what we agreed with the UN Secretary-General, and I hope for a positive response,” he said.
The meeting, initially scheduled for earlier in the day, experienced a brief delay. Tatar arrived first, around 9:10 a.m., followed shortly by President Christodoulides.
The encounter marked the first official meeting between the two leaders since the informal five-party talks held in Geneva. The session concluded around 11 a.m., and both sides described the atmosphere as constructive and forward-looking.
Exiting the residence of Colin Stewart, President Christodoulides characterised the meeting as a “positive step,” noting that the implementation of previous commitments had now begun. He confirmed that progress had been made on four out of six key issues discussed.
On his part, Ersin Tatar also highlighted the productive nature of the dialogue and hinted at a follow-up meeting to take place before Easter. He too acknowledged the positive environment in which the discussions unfolded.
The meeting has rekindled hopes for renewed cooperation and tangible steps forward on the long-standing Cyprus issue, with both leaders appearing committed to continued engagement under the UN framework.
Also read: Christodoulides – Tatar to meet on April 2
