Negotiators working on ‘low politics’ CBMs

A marathon session between Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ozdil Nami on agreeing ‘low politics’ confidence-building measures took place on Friday.

According to sources cited by the Cyprus News Agency, the seven-hour meeting was held in a very positive atmosphere.

The two negotiators will resume their task on Monday, ahead of Thursday’s tete-a-tete of the two leaders, Greek Cypriot Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot Mustafa Akinci, where they will announce the first in a series of CBMs.

The leaders plan to announce bundles of CBMs – reached by the negotiators during their daily sessions – after each bi-weekly meeting.

Daily Kathimerini reported on yesterday that among the measures agreed are the opening of a new crossing point at Paphos Gate in the walled city of Nicosia and the operation of a common street market at the site.

Additionally, the paper said, the opening of the Athienou-Piroi crossing point is also expected to be announced after Thursday’s meeting. Citing unnamed sources, Kathimerini reported that work on repairing the old Athienou-Piroi road is already underway.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.