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Olive oil bridges borders in Cyprus - 21st February 2020

Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean. Here, an olive oil business is helping peace grow.

Cyprus used to be one country. In 1974, the army tried to make it part of Greece. A Turkish invasion stopped this. It divided the country in two. Turkey controls northern Cyprus and southern Cyprus has a Greek government.

There were talks about joining together. These stopped in 2017.

The same year, two Cypriot men started an olive oil company. Hasan is Turkish and Alexandros is Greek. Their oil comes from olives from both sides of Cyprus. Coliveoil is an unusual company.

Alexandros Philippides: "Coliveoil is trying to promote the peace process in Cyprus through a common goal that we have, a common staple that has been shared by the two communities, which is olive oil."

There are lots of challenges for Coliveoil. Olives from the north can’t be sold as organic in the EU.

At the border checkpoint, Coliveoil need passports. They have to show documents for the olives.

The olives go to a mill. They mix the olives from North and South together. But this symbol of peace means they can’t sell the oil as organic. Hasan and Alexandros are thinking about selling the oil in separate bottles.