The Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulidis, characterized today's meeting with his Greek counterpart as full and productive in terms of substance, content and results.
In his statements after the meeting, Mr. Kasoulidis stressed that Greece remains a stable and long-standing support of Cyprus in its efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the Biconical Bicommunal Federation and with respect for international law and European values.
"We exchanged views on a wide range of issues from the Cyprus issue, trilateral cooperation, and the ongoing Turkish provocation, but also on regional, European, international issues of common interest," Kasoulidis said, adding that Cyprus and Greece maintain an automatic coordination mechanism. and consultation on the issues that concern us ".
At the same time, the Cypriot Foreign Minister stressed that Athens and Nicosia remain stable pillars of security and stability in the Mediterranean region and added that he and his Greek counterpart discussed ways to address the Turkish provocation.
"Continued Turkish violations of international law create a difficult environment that we have to deal with," Kasoulidis said, stressing that the two countries remain firm on a path of rationality, which he said is "the path of respect for international law, the law of the sea and European values ".
"The goal of the Republic of Cyprus remains the sustainable solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the Bi-Zonal Bicommunal Federation, in accordance with the UN resolutions," concluded Mr. Kasoulides.
For his part, Nikos Dendias underlined that Greece continues its full support for a viable and fair solution to the Cyprus problem with a Bi-Zonal Bicommunal Federation and based on UN resolutions and compatible with the European acquis.
The Greek Foreign Minister described today as of special importance for the country as the first Rafale fighter jets arrived which, as he said, "will contribute to the protection and defense of Hellenism".
Referring to the ongoing Turkish provocations and violations, Mr. Dendias stressed that these are now accompanied by an escalation of aggressive rhetoric, even against specific persons and stressed that Greece will continue to raise these issues in the EU and in international fora. "For our part, we reiterate our intention for a sincere and constructive dialogue with respect for international law and the law of the sea," he said.
At the same time, Mr. Dendias noted that the cooperation between Greece and Cyprus is not monothematic but concerns a wide range. "Our common goal is also to consolidate and, if possible, strengthen trilateral and multilateral cooperation. Our cooperation with other countries in the region, starting with Egypt and Israel, has expanded and now covers a wide geographical range. I would also like to mention the 3 + 1 cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States. This cooperation is a milestone in multilateralism in the region, with the participation of our strategic partner, the USA. The multilateral schemes began with the exchange of views on issues of common interest, but have evolved into a framework for the operation of strategic relationships. "They cover energy, transport, civil protection, tourism and, of course, developments in the wider Mediterranean region," said the Greek Foreign Minister.
"Finally, we talked about cooperation within the UN. As it is known, Greece has submitted its candidacy for a position in the Council for the period 2025-26. Our aim is to promote a positive agenda in order to address common challenges, such as the effects of climate change and migration. "Guidance in this effort is the commitment to international law, the promotion of good neighborly relations and full respect for the provisions of the United Nations Charter", concluded Nikos Dendias.