The European Commission on Friday welcomed the joint visit to the Missing Persons’ Lab in the buffer zone in Lefkoşa by the two leaders, President Ersin Tatar and the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Christodoulides.

It described the visit as a symbolic step that came at a time of much anticipated progress towards the solution of the Cyprus issue.

“The European Union’s Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community continues to provide assistance to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus and as part of its efforts, the European Commission is proud to extend substantial support to the CMP,”the statement read.

It pointed out that since 2006, the EU has been the major contributor in support of the work of the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP), with funding amounting to almost €36 million, demonstrating its strong commitment to peace building and reconciliation in Cyprus.

“The EU funding supports the work of bicommunal Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot scientific teams involved in all stages of the process in an effort to help heal the wounds of the families of missing persons in both communities. These activities constitute a crucial aspect of the overall efforts for reconciliation on the island,” it added.