Anastasiades and Tatar met for first time

Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, and new Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar met at the buffer zone of Nicosia airport.

Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar (C), Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades (R) & new Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar Source: AAP Image/EPA/KATIA CHRISTODOULOU

It is the first time the two leaders met after Tatar was elected leader of the Turkish Cypriots the past month. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.

Turkey has ignored numerous UN resolutions calling for the withdrawal of the Turkish troops and respect of the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.

Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The last round of negotiations, in the summer of 2017, at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.