King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands has praised Cyprus’ role as a bridge for Europe at the crossroads of the Middle East and North Africa, noting that Cyprus understands the problems and issues in this volatile  region.

The King was speaking on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, during a joint press conference with the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, after their talks, in the framework of the state visit that the Dutch royal couple is paying to Cyprus.

The King of the Netherlands thanked President Christodoulides for the invitation to visit the island and pointed out that Cyprus is located at a very important crossroad between the Middle East and North Africa. Addressing the President of Cyprus, he praised the fact that he understands the issues concerning the region and its neighbors.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, he said that dialogue is important in order to promote a solution and referred to the visit he will pay on Wednesday to the House of Cooperation, in Nicosia buffer zone, saying that it is a place where young Cypriots from both sides can see how much they can share.

He also referred to the relations that the two countries have at the European level.

In his statements, President Christodoulides described the visit of the King of the Netherlands as historic, saying that it takes place at an important moment.

He referred to the issues discussed during the talks, such as economy, defence, rural development, education and culture. The President talked about the teams from the University of Leiden that are currently conducting archaeological excavations in Cyprus and the fact that  the royal couple will visit the archaeological site of the Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia.

The President thanked the Netherlands for its principled positions regarding the Cyprus issue. He also referred to the expanded meeting on the Cyprus problem that will take place this month in Geneva, saying that he hoped that it will pave the way for the resumption of full-fledged negotiations, in accordance with the agreed UN framework.

He also said that during their meeting, they discussed issues related to Ukraine, the Middle East and Migration.

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.