The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders agreed Monday to open two vehicle crossings across the line that divides Cyprus, giving residents two more routes once preparatory work is complete. The United Nations, which brokered the meeting, said the crossings would open on the same day and that both leaders would meet with Secretary-General António Guterres in the coming weeks. No opening date was announced.

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman reached the agreement in Nicosia with María Ángela Holguín, Guterres’s personal envoy. The deal would be the first expansion of the crossing network since 2018. It gives the two sides a practical project to carry out while the much harder questions of how to govern the island and guarantee its security remain unresolved, as the Associated Press and Politis reported.

Where the routes would go

One route would connect Louroujina, also called Akıncılar, with Lympia, also called Limya, southeast of Nicosia. The other would connect Kampos, or Kambo, with Karavostasi, or Gemikonağı, in the northwest. Both routes are for vehicles, the AP reported. Nine crossings now operate across the island’s buffer zone; if both proposed routes open, there would be 11. The last additions were at Deryneia and Lefka in 2018, according to Politis.

Drivers already face queues at some checkpoints. An extra route in each part of the island could give some of them a shorter trip or an alternative to a crowded crossing, but the agreement offers no immediate relief. In public remarks after the meeting, Christodoulides said the two crossings would open together after the necessary preparations. Politis pointed to terrain and existing infrastructure around Kampos as reasons the work there could take time. Opening the pair together means travelers will have to wait for both routes to be ready.

What the Green Line rules mean

The buffer zone follows the ceasefire lines that took shape after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, following a coup backed by Greece’s military rulers. The internationally recognized government sits in the south, while the Turkish Cypriot administration in the north declared independence in 1983 and is recognized only by Turkey, the AP reported. The Security Council has kept a U.N. peacekeeping mission on the island and renewed its mandate through January 2027.

The European Commission treats the Green Line as a ceasefire line within the European Union. The whole island is part of the EU, though EU law is suspended in areas where the government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control. Separate EU rules govern passage into government-controlled areas: people are subject to eligibility and security checks, and goods have to meet EU standards. Opening another road would give drivers a new place to cross under that framework. Monday’s statement did not announce changes to who can cross or what they can carry.

Cooperation beyond the checkpoints

The leaders also agreed to have their technical committees develop a way to respond quickly to emergencies, share archival material and proceed with environmental projects. A cultural heritage committee is to move ahead with restoration work at specified Maronite churches and an Armenian monastery, the U.N. said. In his own public remarks, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side was ready to work with the communities concerned and draw on the committee’s expertise.

The leaders agreed to restart Imagine, a peace education program that brought students and teachers from the two communities together. Politis reported that activities involving both communities during school hours were suspended after Erhürman’s predecessor withdrew from the program in 2022. Resuming Imagine through the education committee puts one of the changes agreed Monday in schools, where its return will depend on organizing activities that students on both sides can attend.

What comes before formal talks

There was no announced agreement to resume formal settlement negotiations. The Security Council continues to call for a federation with political equality between the two communities, while Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have called for a two-state settlement and Greek Cypriots oppose formal partition, according to the AP. The council has urged the sides to ease barriers to contact while making clear that such measures do not settle the dispute.

Security remains a point of disagreement. The AP reported that Greek Cypriots oppose a continuing Turkish military presence and any right for Ankara to intervene militarily under a settlement. The Security Council has also called for direct military contacts between the sides, a separate effort intended to manage risks along the existing ceasefire lines. Monday’s statement did not announce any agreement on either issue.

Christodoulides said the planned meeting with Guterres could lead to a wider meeting aimed at restarting negotiations. Erhürman said additional crossings and access to Pyla, also called Pile, should come up at the next meeting. The U.N. confirmed that discussions on other crossings would continue, without announcing agreement on them. Until the leaders meet again, the clearest way to judge Monday’s progress will be whether the two sides can agree on the work needed to open the two roads and tell residents when they can use them.