Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman said Wednesday that he and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides failed to reach an agreement on new confidence-building measures during talks aimed at advancing efforts on the divided island.
Erhürman said in a written statement following the hourlong meeting in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone that discussions focused primarily on confidence-building measures and the methodology for moving the process forward.
“During a significant part of the meeting, while we were unable to reach an agreement on new confidence-building measures, we conveyed our views regarding external and internal initiatives that are eroding even the existing trust,” Erhürman noted.
He stressed the importance of creating what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as a favorable climate for progress on the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said this would require both implementing new confidence-building measures and avoiding steps that could undermine trust between the two sides.
