President Clerides of Cyprus crossed the Green Line dividing the island and went to a dinner party in northern Nicosia last night. As he sped through the buffer zone to dine with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, Mr Clerides became the first head of state of the internationally-recognised Republic of Cyprus to enter the Turkish-controlled sector of the capital since the island was divided in 1963, long before the Turkish invasion of 1974.
The decision by the two ageing Cypriot leaders to resume their negotiations is a dramatic thaw in relations; their decision to sit down and eat together has stunned Greek-Cypriots and enchanted Turkish-Cypriots. But there is still a long way to go before there is any hope of settling the conflict, and this is complicating the next phase of EU enlargement and threatening to destabilise NATO's southern flank.
Mr Clerides, who is 82, wants a loose federation in which both Cypriot communities would enjoy broad autonomy within one state; Mr Denktash, at 77, is pushing for a confederation, which would amount to two separate states. Turkey, for its part, has threatened to annex the breakaway Turkish Cypriot statelet if the island joins the EU.
EU entry without a settlement would pitch Turkey into confrontation with the EU, and would raise tensions within NATO. Now Turkey must make a positive contribution, knowing a settlement on Cyprus would help Ankara's own bid for EU membership and enhance the developing rapprochement between Ankara and Athens.
But perhaps the real victor is the EU, which has turned the prospect of Cypriot accession into a real catalyst for negotiations, continuing to press both sides to resume talks while firmly refusing to give Turkey a veto on Cypriot membership ahead of a settlement.
Apart from any benefits for the EU and NATO, or Turkey and Greece, any long-term solution must hold the promise of lasting economic, social and political benefits for northern Cypriots, ending their isolation, easing ethnic tensions, giving them new guarantees in the area of human rights and attracting much-needed investment in industry, agriculture and tourism.