President of the Republic Demetris Chistofias reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side`s main aim is to open all crossing points and overcome all obstacles towards that direction.

According to an official press release issued here on Saturday, President Christofias met with members of the Committees for the opening of the Lefka and the Kokkina crossings points on the sidelines of his visit to Kato Pyrgos Tillyrias village in the district of Nicosia.

President Christofias said he wishes and works for the reestablishment of conditions of friendship and brotherhood between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

He added that he works very hard for the opening of crossings points to and from Cyprus Republic free areas and Turkish occupied areas and that he faced many difficulties and obstacles before the opening of the Limnitis crossing, which opened in October 2010.

“Our main aim“, he told members of the Committees, “is to open all crossings and overcome all obstacles“.

President Christofias also spoke of the cooperation he had with former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat saying that they worked on the basis of an agreement of reciprocity.

He recalled that the Ledra street crossing had opened and subsequent efforts to open the Limnitis crossing took one and a half years.

The principle of reciprocity must be in place because without it no more crossings can be opened, he said, adding that it is important for the Turkish Cypriot leader to understand that in order for the Lefka crossing to open, another crossing must open as well.

He added that he will work hard and intensively in order to persuade Eroglu that the principle of reciprocity must be taken into consideration, adding that Talat and he had worked hard for the opening of the Kokkina crossing but outside interventions had prevented the opening of the crossing.

He further expressed the view that the opening of the crossing would be a blessing for the people stating that this is his wish also.

“I also wish for the country to be reunited”, he said, adding however that the obstacle, which keeps this from happening, is well known, defining it further as a “foreign factor”.

Cyprus was divided after the Turkish invasion of 1974.

Several crossing points operate along the demarcation line, which divides Cyprus into the northern Turkish occupied areas and the southern government controlled part of the country, to facilitate movement of people.

UN led talks are underway between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in an effort to reunite the island under a federal roof.