Crossings a meaningful signal ahead of any meeting, says UN chief

An agreement on the opening of new crossing points would be a meaningful signal of political will ahead of any broader format meeting, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said in his report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus.In his report, leaked to the press earlier this week and released on Friday as an official Security Council document, Guterres expressed concerns over the unilateral actions by both sides in and around the buffer zone.He also called for obstacles to trade via the Green Line Regulation and challenges concerning banking and financial matters to be “addressed urgently”.In his report, Guterres said he remained “committed to maintaining contact and dialogue with the parties, as well as with the guarantor powers, in search of a path towards a peaceful settlement”.The report covers developments from June 13, 2024, to December 11, 2024.

President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar are meeting on January 20 to discuss the opening of more crossing points.