New crossing points opened to connect Cyprus’ two sides should “facilitate the daily lives of all the Cypriot people”, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday.

“What I want to mention is that the main issue is not to open a crossing point which only serves Turkish Cypriots. We are ready for Kaimakil and Mia Milia, but at the same time, the road between Athienou and Aglandjia or through Kokkina should be opened, so that Greek Cypriots are also served,” he said upon his arrival at an event in Rome.

To this end, he said that he is “ready for all four crossing points” to be opened.

“It is important that there is mutual satisfaction for all the Cypriot people,” he said.

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His comments come after Nicosia’s two mayors, Greek Cypriot Charalambos Prountzos and Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Harmanci, had both made statements in favour of the possible opening of a new crossing point in the eastern Nicosia suburb of Kaimakli.

However, Christodoulides said that the prospect of such a crossing point had not been discussed during his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Tuesday morning.

“Suggestions can, of course, be made by the municipal authorities. They have been made by the Nicosia mayor, the Athienou mayor, the Kato Pyrgos mukhtar, and the Polis Chrysochous mayor, and the government evaluates all the suggestions which are made,” he said.

He also spoke on the matter of the existing Ayios Dhometios crossing point, saying that the Greek Cypriot side has “taken many actions” to facilitate crossings at the island’s busiest, and often most congested crossing point.

“Let me remind you that a third lane was opened. Let me remind you that a third lane could have been opened much earlier. The construction work in the free areas had been completed. We had expressed our readiness to also carry out construction work in the buffer zone, which was not accepted, and there was a delay,” he said.

He added that the Greek Cypriot side has also “reinforced personnel” at the crossing point, “so that any challenges can be addressed”.

Those comments come after Erhurman had criticised what he described as a “failure to fulfil the commitments made” on the facilitation of crossings between the two sides at Ayios Dhometios on the part of the Greek Cypriot side during a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this month.

“Despite promises made to take action by January 31, we noted that no improvements have been made at Ayios Dhometios, and that the arrangements made at Dherynia and at Astromeritis are incomplete,” he said.

He added that talks, at present, are focused on “various initiatives”, including the option of a crossing point at Mia Milia and in the village of Louroujina, which is located between Nicosia and Larnaca, as well as the road between Athienou and Alandjia.

“We have developed phased proposals to address the concerns of the other side … We stated that we would not be at all bothered by the Greek Cypriots also benefiting from these crossing points and that, on the contrary, we support mutual facilitation,” he said.