President Nikos Christodoulides and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shared a light-hearted exchange in front of the cameras during their meeting in Dublin, joking about their early-morning visit to the gym and who was the faster runner.
The conversation began as Carney thanked Christodoulides for the meeting and remarked on the Cypriot President's busy schedule.
"He is a very busy man. He was at the gym very early this morning," Carney said.
"Yes, we were together," Christodoulides replied with a smile.
"I was watching, you were running," the Canadian Prime Minister joked.
The exchange continued at the end of their remarks, when Christodoulides thanked Carney and added: "And he runs much faster than I do."
Cyprus and Canada discuss longstanding ties
Beyond the jokes, the two leaders discussed relations between Cyprus and Canada and prospects for further cooperation.
They highlighted the longstanding ties between the two countries, recalling that more than 24,000 Canadian military personnel have taken part in peacekeeping efforts on the island over the years.
Christodoulides thanked Canada for its contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and referred to the approximately 35,000 Cypriots living in Canada.
He described the meeting as significant, noting that it was the first meeting between a Canadian prime minister and a Cypriot president in many years.
