Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, has expressed readiness to meet, even tomorrow, with Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar.

Responding to a question by a journalist during a visit to Paphos, Christodoulides said that he has repeatedly expressed in public his readiness to meet with Tatar.

“I have conveyed my desire to him as well, either for a social meeting, or in the framework of the resumption of talks” on the Cyprus problem, he added.

Moreover, he noted that he has proposed “a common visit to the anthropological lab for the issue on missing persons, an issue which is humanitarian and not at all political,” expressing hope that Tatar will shortly respond positively to this proposal.

“On my part I am ready for such a visit even tomorrow,” he added.

Meanwhile, responding to a question about an incident involving a Turkish citizen who attacked three police officers who tried to hinder him from illegally crossing from the Turkish-occupied to the government controlled areas of the island through the Ledra street checkpoint, Christodoulides said that he was not willing to foment nationalism.

Moreover he noted that history proves wrong those who consider or imagine that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots cannot co-exist, and the future will prove them wrong as well.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.