Against the backdrop of UN Secretary-General António Guterres' visit to Cyprus from 27 to 29 July and expected developments on the Cyprus issue, President Nikos Christodoulides met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion in Athens on Saturday.
During the meeting, Mitsotakis referred to developments in the wider region, stressing that rising tensions and the risk of further escalation make coordination between Greece and Cyprus more necessary than ever.
Addressing the Cyprus issue, the Greek prime minister said Guterres' visit to Cyprus, nearly two decades after the last visit by a UN secretary-general to the island, presents an important opportunity to restart the process.
He reiterated Athens' steadfast support for the initiatives undertaken by President Christodoulides, emphasising that efforts to resume talks must remain strictly within the framework of UN Security Council resolutions.
Mitsotakis added that Greece would continue to stand firmly alongside the Republic of Cyprus in the forthcoming negotiations.
For his part, President Christodoulides described the current period as particularly critical, both regionally and in relation to the Cyprus issue, expressing hope that further instability in the region could be avoided.
He said the strategy pursued by the Cypriot government, together with the political will it has demonstrated, had helped strengthen international interest in the Cyprus issue, something reflected both in Guterres' visit and in the increased involvement of the European Union.
Christodoulides also argued that it has now become clear that the Cyprus issue is a European matter, making particular reference to the appointment of an Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, which he described as evidence of the EU's growing interest in developments relating to Cyprus.
The president added that Nicosia's objective is for the UN secretary-general's visit to produce substantive results and create the conditions necessary for negotiations to resume from the point where they broke off in the summer of 2017, always within the UN framework and in accordance with the principles and laws of the European Union.
Following their private meeting, the two leaders were joined by members of the Cypriot and Greek delegations for expanded talks.
