President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides held a telephone conversation Sunday afternoon with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during which they discussed the document submitted by Cyprus to the EU on the Syrian issue as well as the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.
A written statement by Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis states that the President of the Commission welcomed the content of the working document of the Republic of Cyprus on Syria.
President Christodoulides and President von der Leyen discussed at length the latest developments in Syria and the need to ensure the security and stability of the wider region. The Cypriot President informed the President of the European Commission about the contacts he had on the issue of Syria with leaders of states in the region and underlined the need for the EU to play an active and leading role in the region, by undertaking specific, substantive initiatives.
Within this framework, the Spokesman says, the President of the Republic discussed with President von der Leyen the content of the working document submitted by the Republic of Cyprus, which will be tabled to the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council, that contains specific proposals and ideas on the role that the EU can play.
The President of the Commission welcomed the content of the document of the Republic of Cyprus which also reflects the positions of the states of the region, the Spokesman notes.
He adds that the President of the Republic and the President of the European Commission also discussed the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, in particular with regard to the upcoming convening of the multilateral meeting in the presence of the guarantor powers, to explore the prospects of resuming the Cyprus negotiations, within the agreed framework, from the point they were interrupted.
President Christodoulides underlined the catalytic contribution of the EU to the efforts, as well as the constructive position of the Republic of Cyprus towards strengthening the EU-Turkey relations, with the clear interconnection of the progress of these relations with the progress on the Cyprus issue, based on the Conclusions of the European Council of last April.
The Spokesman notes that the telephone conversation between President Christodoulides and the President of the European Commission took place at the request of President von der Leyen in view of her upcoming visit to Turkey, where she will meet with the Turkish President.