The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties that participate in the meetings under the auspices of the Slovak Embassy have expressed their hope that the 14 measures proposed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus will contribute towards the breakdown of the deadlock as regards the Cyprus issue. It is recalled that at the end of January 2024 the Government of Cyprus announced a set of 14 measures that concern a wide range of actions that impact the daily life of the Turkish Cypriot compatriots.

According to a Joint Communiqué, the leaders and representatives of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties participating in the bi-communal dialogue under the auspices of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nicosia met on 28 February 2024 at the Ledra Palace Hotel.

They expressed opinions on the topic proposed by the hosting party – Socialist Party of Cyprus (SPC): “Why has there been no solution to the Cyprus problem for 60 years? Could President Nikos Christodoulides’ support package for Turkish Cypriots, which concerns daily life, contribute to overcome the 60-year deadlock?”

The Joint Communiqué says that the representatives of the political parties identified several reasons for the long-lasting deadlock of the Cyprus Problem and expressed their views, comments, and suggestions how to overcome it.

“Moreover, they expressed hope that the 14 measures proposed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus will contribute towards the breakdown of this deadlock” it says.

The next meeting of the leaders and representatives of the political parties will be held on Wednesday, 27 March 2024 with United Democrats as hosting party.

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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.

At the end of January 2024 the Government of Cyprus announced a set of 14 measures that concern a wide range of actions that impact the daily life of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.

According to an announcement by the Presidency, the measures have been formulated following an assessment of all relevant parameters, and will be implemented in line with national law, international law, and the European Union acquis.

Specifically, the 14 measures are the following: First examination of all pending applications for the granting of Cypriot citizenship in the framework of the decision by the Council of Ministers of February 2007, secondly, the payment of widow pensions to entitled beneficiaries, thirdly, access to clinical services of the Institute of Neurology and Genetics, also, provision of urgent and emergency pharmaceutical needs, expansion of the list of goods in the framework of the Green Line Regulation with the addition of 6 products, access to human resources programs in the framework of the action plan for the European Year of Skills and access to vocational programs by the Productivity Centre, as well as to training seminars on issues relating to the European Union acquis.

The measures also include the right to acquire a Youth Culture Card upon the completion of 18 years of age, increase of staffing at the checkpoints, widening of the crossing point at Agios Dometios, measures for the rapid crossing of students at the Ledra Palace checkpoint, hiring of staff with knowledge of the Turkish language at the Nicosia Citizen Service Centre, safeguarding the continuation of the smooth operation of the Mia Milia water waste unit and facilitation for access to Muslim monuments in the government-controlled areas.