The Cyprus issue, bilateral relations and regional developments were the focus of a phone telephone conversation between President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Monday morning.
The two leaders agreed to hold their first meeting in September, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week, according to a written statement by Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis. As he noted, President Christodoulides warmly congratulated Burnham on assuming office and wished him every success in carrying out his new duties.
Letymbiotis said that during their phone call, the two leaders referred to the historic and multifaceted bilateral relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, which in recent years have entered a particularly close and substantive phase, as well as the significant prospects for further deepening cooperation between the two countries in key areas of mutual interest.
The two leaders also discussed EU-UK relations. President Christodoulides noted that strengthening these ties was one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, stressing the strategic importance of closer relations between London and Brussels. He reaffirmed Cypruss readiness to continue playing a constructive role in further strengthening EU-UK cooperation, the Spokesperson said.
On the Cyprus issue, President Christodoulides reiterated that its resolution remains his top priority. He briefed the British Prime Minister on the ongoing efforts by the UN Secretary-General and stressed the importance of the current momentum for the resumption of meaningful negotiations within the agreed framework, as set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
In this context, President Christodoulides underlined the important role the United Kingdom can play, as a guarantor power, permanent member of the UN Security Council and penholder for resolutions on Cyprus, in efforts to resume the negotiating process from where it left off, the Spokesperson added.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments and the situation in the Middle East, and agreed to remain in close contact, with a shared commitment to further strengthening Cyprus-UK cooperation, Letymbiotis concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: CNA
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