Greek and Turkish Cypriots embraced each other and exchanged greetings on Thursday on Ledra Street after its re-opening as a gesture of reconciliation between Cyprus’s two communities. The mood was festive, with shopkeepers on the Turkish Cypriot side offering coffee and pastries to passers-by.

Yasin Kus, owner of a clothing store close to the new border crossing point, said as he put up a price-list in euros: “I’m hoping for a major influx of business from the Greek Cypriot side.”