The Cypriot government has proposed a military withdrawal by Greek Cypriot and Turkish forces from the ceasefire line that has divided the island for three decades.
"It is our conviction that these initiatives will form the basis of fostering trust and security among Greek and Turkish Cypriots," Cypriot government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said of proposals to disengage forces from a UN-guarded line within the capital Nicosia, and in the southeastern area of Famagusta.
The move would require a reciprocal move from Turkish military on the opposing side of the line.
The east Mediterranean island was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-Cypriot coup engineered by the military then ruling Greece.