As their husbands strive to reach a deal to unify the divided islands, the wives of Cyprus’ rival leaders attended a concert of young musicians from both sides.

Cypriot and Turks played side-by-side as Andri Anastasiades and Meral Akinci expressed their support for reunification, the Cyprus Mail reported.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been talking for almost a year but not gotten very far.

“It is a great pleasure to be here at this concert with Meral,” Andri Anastasiades said. “This is one of many steps that push us to find a solution to the Cyprus problem together.”

“I believe that women can do a lot and that we are part of the solution to our problem. My wish is to have a solution to the problem this year,” she added.

Meral Akinci thanked the bi-communal technical committee and the young musicians for the concert and said that women need opportunities to help find a solution.

“We want to hope that the solution to the Cyprus problem and the reunification of our island is not far off,” Greek Cypriot co-chairperson of the bi-communal technical committee Androulla Vasiliou said.

“We will need to create the proper climate among our people. All of us, and especially younger people, will need to believe in the solution and the peaceful coexistence as well as the cooperation between the two communities. We must believe that, together, we will be able to work towards and create our mutual future, in our mutual homeland, Cyprus”, she said.

Kani Kanol, the Turkish Cypriot co-chairperson agreed: “We fully understand the role of art and artists and particularly young artists in creating a free, independent, democratic and bright equal future,” he said, the paper reported.