The agreement with the Greek Cypriot side for opening the roadblocks in pre-pandemic conditions, if the epidemiological data allow it, speaks the representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, while she says that instructions were given to the bi-communal Technical Committee for Health to create a "road map" as soon as possible. The roadblocks will be opened when the conditions allow and a political decision is made, said a diplomatic source in KYPE.
According to reports from the occupied territories, the representative of Tatar, Berna Celik Dogrujol, stated that she agreed with the Greek side to open the roadblocks in pre-pandemic conditions, as far as the epidemiological data allow. He also announced that instructions had been given to the "bilateral" - in its expression - Technical Committee for Health to "harmonize legislation" on the pandemic and to create a "road map" as soon as possible, to open all crossing points.
The "bilateral" Technical Committee for Economic and Commercial Affairs is also working together to mitigate the negative economic impact of the pandemic, Ms Dogroujol continued. In this context, he added, the work that began to return to normal conditions will continue, under the coordination of the "government".
He added that under the direction of Ersin Tatar, the chief negotiator of the Turkish Cypriot side, Ergun Olgun, met with the negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Andreas Mavrogiannis, on March 19, as part of the discussion on Confidence Building Measures.
The Turkish side, Ms. Dogrujl said, suggested returning to pre-pandemic conditions regarding crossings, adding that "at the meeting held in the presence of the head of the UN mission, Elizabeth Spehar, an agreement was reached with the Greek Cypriot side. side to open the passages in pre-pandemic conditions, as far as epidemiological data allow. For this reason, the bilateral Technical Committee on Health has been instructed to create a roadmap as soon as possible, in line with the parties' current legislation to combat the pandemic. COVID-19 and open all the passages ".
From the Greek Cypriot side, a diplomatic source told KYPE that "we are working so that when the conditions allow and a political decision is made, the opening of the roadblocks can be done". He also said that various bi-communal Technical Committees are involved and that the effort "is not for harmonization, but if it is possible to have convergence of practices without harm" to facilitate traffic.
In relation to this meeting, on March 19, it was reported by the Greek Cypriot side that there are regular weekly online meetings, both at the level of negotiators and the UN, as well as at the level of coordinators and the UN and that there is nothing specific about this date.
"The Technical Committees exchange information and try, as are the terms of their mandate, to contribute to resolving the issues that concern the daily lives of the people," the same source concluded.