Greek and Turkish Cypriot negotiators will meet this week to prepare for President Nikos Christodoulides’ exchange with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on August 26, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Monday.

Speaking with CyBC, Letymbiotis said the meeting between the two leaders would be approached by Christodoulides with a “constructive attitude”, with the government seeking progress on issues including the opening of new crossing points.

He reiterated that a proposal by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for the simultaneous opening of crossing points at Athienou and Mia Milia should be taken into account.

The August 26 meeting, scheduled for 4pm, in intended to prepare for a new expanded meeting on the Cyprus problem.

Guterres said after his recent visit that another expanded informal meeting would be held once sufficient preparation had been completed.

“We must prepare the next meeting well, to ensure that it leads to a solution,” Guterres said.

He said the UN would work with both sides and the guarantor powers “to create the conditions for the success of the meeting”.

The opening of new crossing points remains one of the points of contention under discussion.

Four crossings were included in a package agreed at an expanded Cyprus meeting in Geneva last year, with both sides asked to put forward two locations.

The government later proposed opening two crossings initially, pairing the Athienou to Aglandjia road with a crossing at Mia Milia, while leaving Louroujina for a later stage.

The Turkish Cypriot side rejected the proposal and has called for all four crossings to be opened together.

Letymbiotis also confirmed that the process of recording meetings between the two sides had begun and was expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

Asked in regard to the possible arrival of UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin, he said there was currently no information as to when she would come to Cyprus.

Christodoulides and Erhurman have both previously called for more frequent contact as part of efforts to restart negotiations.

The president has said he is ready to hold weekly meetings with Erhurman, while the Turkish Cypriot leader has likewise called for regular meetings.

Christodoulides is also expected to travel to New York at the end of September for the UN General Assembly, where he is due for contacts with Guterres.