Turkish, Greek Cypriot leaders agree on five-step plan

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders have agreed on a five-step plan to resolve the issue of division on the island, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades met at the U.N.'s Good Office on the island, hosted by U.N. Special Adviser for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide.

The meeting lasted four hours and the two leaders stressed that they would continue to protect the "positive" atmosphere for a two-society and two-region federation.

The steps include opening more crossing points, interconnecting the power grids, allowing mobile phone interoperability on both sides of the island, resolving the issue of radio frequency conflicts, and forming a joint committee on gender equality on Cyprus.

The leaders emphasized taking concrete steps to realize all five goals.

In addition, Akinci and Anastasiades voiced their intention to continue the talks and plan to hold four more meetings between June 17 and July 27.

Political tensions in the long-divided island have eased since full-fledged talks resumed on May 15.

The Greek Cypriot administration had unilaterally suspended the talks last October after Turkey issued an advisory on behalf of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for seismic research off the coast of Cyprus.

The island was divided into a Turkish Cypriot government in the northern third and a Greek Cypriot administration in the southern two-thirds after a 1974 military coup by Greece was followed by a peace operation by Turkey as a guarantor state in Cyprus.