President Nikos Christodoulides and newly appointed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham have agreed to hold their first meeting later this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
According to a written statement by Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the two leaders spoke by telephone on Monday morning, with Christodoulides congratulating Burnham on taking office and wishing him success in his new role.
Cyprus-UK ties in focus
During their conversation, the two leaders discussed the historic and multifaceted relationship between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, as well as prospects for strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
They also discussed EU-UK relations, with Christodoulides noting that closer ties between Brussels and London had been one of the priorities of Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The President underlined the strategic importance of a stronger relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union and reiterated Cyprus's readiness to contribute constructively towards that objective.
Cyprus issue discussed
A significant part of the conversation focused on the Cyprus issue.
Christodoulides briefed the British Prime Minister on ongoing efforts under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, stressing the importance of the current period for restarting substantive negotiations on the basis of the agreed framework and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He also highlighted the role the United Kingdom could play as a guarantor power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the penholder for resolutions relating to Cyprus, in efforts to resume negotiations from the point at which they were suspended.
Middle East developments
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments and the situation in the Middle East.
According to the government spokesman, they agreed to remain in close contact with the shared aim of further deepening cooperation between Cyprus and the United Kingdom.
