The European Union’s One Stop Shop for Green Line trade commenced its operations on Monday.
The One Stop Shop, which is located on Deligiorgi Street in Nicosia, aims to increase the support provided by the EU to businesses which wish to trade over the Green Line.
The EU said the One Stop Shop will “provide specialised expertise, information and networking support in Turkish, Greek, and English”, and it will also have a trilingual website.
Speaking at the One Stop Shop’s opening, the European Commission’s Director-General for Structural Reform Support Mario Nava stressed the EU’s “strong commitment to facilitate and promote trade through the Green Line as a powerful confidence-building measure.”
He said that moves such as the One Stop Shop’s opening will “pave the way for the reunification of the island”.
He also pointed out the “strong partnership and cooperation between the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce and the Cyprus chamber of commerce and industry”, calling them “key partners in the One Stop Shop initiative”.
“Increasing trade through the Green Line is one of the Commission’s main priorities in Cyprus. Trade across the Green Line brings people and businesses together and provides significant economic opportunities for business from both communities,” said the EU’s Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira, adding that it could help build trust between the two communities.”
“The One Stop Shop will provide both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot producers and traders with easy access to valuable information on the procedures for trading through the Green Line.”
It will also inform them about EU standards and requirements with which Turkish Cypriot products must comply in order to be placed on the EU market.
The One Stop Shop is being financed by the EU’s Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community.