President Anastasiades welcomed the meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during his intervention at the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels on Wednesday, according to a written statement by Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos on Thursday.
During his remarks, President Anastasiades praised the role of European Council President Charles Michel in holding the bilateral meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Tuesday, "which was held in a constructive atmosphere, opening a window of opportunity to resolve the problems of the two countries on the basis of international law," according to the statement.
The President noted that he himself comes from a country suffering from the illegal actions of third parties and stressed that "our priority should be the restoration of international law in the Eastern Neighbourhood region".
At the same time, he supported French President Emmanuel Macron's position that the "Normandy format" (consisting of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France) remains the best platform for settling the conflict in Ukraine.
President Anastasiades expressed Cyprus' support for efforts to strengthen the Eastern Partnership on the basis of common principles and values such as respect for human rights and international law.
Regarding President Anastasiades' meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nicol Pashinian on the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Pelecanos noted that during their conversation Anastasiades referred to the close friendship that binds the peoples of Cyprus and Armenia and the presence of the Armenian community in Cyprus.
President Anastasiades and Prime Minister Pashinian also agreed that the two countries will expedite the processes underway to open embassies in Nicosia and Yerevan.
"The meeting took place at a particularly difficult time for Armenia, as a result of hostilities with Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh region and border areas, with President Anastasiades stressing the need for an end to the conflict and the immediate release of all prisoners," the statement said.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations, with President Anastasiades assuring Pashinian that Cyprus "always supports the upgrading of relations between the two parties, mainly in the framework of the Eastern Partnership" and informing him "of the latest developments in the Cyprus problem and the ongoing Turkish provocations within the Cypriot EEZ and in the enclosed area of Varosha."
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