Deliberations between the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis commenced Monday noon, at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia.
Welcoming the Greek Premier, President Anastasiades expressed the gratitude of the Cypriot people for his constant interest on Cyprus and their close relations, and for his “honest and continuous interest about all that is happening and all that concern Cyprus.”
“This is something we feel comprises a necessary element on the way to liberation, reunification, in any case the creation of the conditions allowing for the settlement and peaceful coexistence with our compatriots, the Turkish Cypriots” the President added.
He also said that with the Greek Prime Minister they will have the chance to thoroughly examine all that may take place during the informal conference on Cyprus, which the UN Secretary General intends to convene. They will also take stock of the broader climate in the region and discuss the forthcoming European Council, in order to deal with developments in a coordinated manner and cooperate in the best possible way.
On his part, Mitsotakis said that he felt it was his obligation during this crucial juncture to be in Cyprus. We are entering a crucial period of developments, ahead of the informal five party conference, Mitsotakis went on and said that it is an “obligation and a necessity for the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus to be in absolute sync” in order to jointly stand up for the island’s reunification, in line with UN decisions that have been already taken, so as to ensure the peaceful coexistence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in a reunited and peaceful Cyprus.
Mitsotakis said that they will engage in a broad review of developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and that they will coordinate action with regards to the pandemic, while adding that both countries have managed to handle it “better than most European countries.”
As we prepare to reach the end of this adventure, with the help of vaccinations, it is important to prepare for the day ahead, the Greek Premier said, adding that both countries rely on tourism and tourist arrivals next summer are important for both economies. “As always, I look forward to having very substantial talks” Mitsotakis said.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis is paying a working visit in Nicosia, ahead of the informal five part conference, which the UN Secretary General intends to convene, probably in early March.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The latest UN-backed efforts to reunited the island took place in the summer of 2017 but failed to yield any results.