The resumption of talks to solve the Cyprus problem was at the centre of a tete a tete between President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday.
The meeting at the Presidential Palace came ahead of a trilateral Cyprus-Greece-Israel summit, which is currently underway also with the includion of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In welcoming Mitzotakis, Christodoulides underlined that the trilateral mechanism falls within the framework of regional collaborations that highlight the roles Cyprus and Greece as EU member states can play in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
“We will have the opportunity to discuss both the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations. I consider September and October to be pivotal months for the direction of these issues,” Christodoulides said. “The UN General Assembly, the meetings we will have, and the European Council in October are of utmost importance.”
He also reiterated his readiness for the resumption of talks and stressed the potential benefits for all parties involved.
“Cyprus is committed to cooperating with all its neighbours based on international law and mutually beneficial solutions for all the peoples of the region,” Christodoulides said.
Mitsotakis said that Greece, Cyprus and Israel represent pillars of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that “the trilateral partnership has stood the test of time and has demonstrated its benefits on both political and economic levels, as well as in other areas.”
He echoed Christodoulides’ approach concerning the Cyprus problem, emphasising its utmost importance and the need to restart talks within the framework of UN resolutions.
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“Greece will always steadfastly support this position. The coming months will also be crucial for Greek-Turkish relations,” Mitsotakis said, adding that the recent developments allow for some cautious optimism.
Mitsotakis and Netanyahu will have a bilateral meeting later in the day.
On Sunday, Christodoulides held a tete a tete with Netanyahu at the Presidential Palace, during which he underlined the good relations with Israel.
“This is a friendship, a strategic partnership with depth and remarkable potential for further expansion that I am fully committed to,” he said.
“This commitment is anchored on the shared values and interests between Cyprus and Israel, but also on common challenges our two countries face, as well as the common goals we are determined to pursue, underpinned by our vision for regional stability and prosperity.”
Christodoulides added that the two leaders identified the next steps to take in key areas for both countries, namely energy, defence, cybersecurity, business, tourism, for which he said that the numbers of visitors to Cyprus are rising.
“You will encounter Israeli tourists wherever you go Benjamin,” the President told Netanyahu.
The two also went through the strategies the energy cooperation.
“We agreed that, particularly given Russian aggression in Ukraine and the need for energy diversification and increased interconnectivity, we should advance the numerous prospects of developing a reliable energy corridor between like minder countries linking the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe.
“This concerns projects such as electrical interconnections, pipelines for gas, cleaner energy sources and LNG terminals.”
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