The President of the Hellenic Republic Mr Nicos Christodoulides attended a working lunch with the President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron.
President Christodoulides' visit to France took place in the context of the excellent relations between the two countries.
During the lunch, ways of further strengthening these excellent bilateral relations were discussed, with emphasis on the areas of education, defence, economic relations and energy.
The President of the Republic presented to President Macron the facts regarding the migration issue and its dimensions in our country, stressing the need for the EU's "Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean" to be completed, adopted and implemented as soon as possible.
President Christodoulides outlined at length to President Macron his proposal for a more active and substantial involvement of the EU in the effort to break the deadlock, resume negotiations from where they left off and resolve the Cyprus problem. President Christodoulides explained the aspects of his proposal and how further EU involvement can act as a catalyst and support to UN efforts.
The EU possesses those specific incentives and tools that can lead to a mutually beneficial state of affairs for all parties involved, he said, adding that the role of France, as a strong supporter of Cyprus, becomes more important, especially due to the fact that France is the only EU Member State that is also a Permanent Member of the UNSC. The prospect of a solution to the Cyprus problem, especially at this time, as the international scene is taking shape, acquires an additional geopolitical dimension for the EU, but also for the regional role that Cyprus can play, President Christodoulides said.
The coordination of actions and the support of France in this major diplomatic effort is a common understanding of the two Presidents and in this direction they will continue to be in communication.
Furthermore, they discussed regional issues of the wider region, such as Lebanon, Libya and Syria and how these can affect the region, but also the need for the EU to take initiatives in terms of the important role it can play. France's participation in the trilateral cooperation mechanisms was also discussed.
Finally, the situation arising from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine was discussed, as well as European issues.
The President of the Republic congratulated President Macron on his initiative on the European Political Community and informed him that he would attend the second session to be held in June in Moldova.
After the working lunch President Christodoulides had a private discussion with President Macron.
(PM/AF)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
