The Chinese government has decided to abolish visa requirements for Cypriot nationals, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced to President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during a meeting they had in New York on Thursday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

According to a statement released by the Cypriot Presidency, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis stated that “the President of the Republic held a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, during which they discussed the excellent bilateral relations, which are being further strengthened. It was within this context that the Chinese Foreign Minister announced that China is abolishing visa requirements for Cypriot nationals traveling to the country, which is a tangible testament to the enhanced bilateral relations”.

Additionally, the President and the Chinese Foreign Minister discussed and welcomed the bilateral air transport agreement that has been signed, which is expected to significantly improve connectivity between the two countries.

The Cyprus issue was also discussed during the meeting, the Spokesman said, adding that as one of the five Permanent Members of the Security Council, China has historically supported Cyprus and “backs our national cause on the basis of principles and values”.

President Christodoulides briefed the Chinese FM on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus problem and the efforts made by the Greek Cypriot side to restart negotiations, as well as on his recent meeting with the UN Secretary-General regarding the Cyprus issue, the Spokesman also said.

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.