President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday that Nicosia and Athens are in accord as regards the Cyprus issue, dismissing any rumors of the contrary.
In statements to the press following a tete-a-tete meeting they had at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia, in the framework of the Greek Prime Minister’s official visit to Cyprus, President Christodoulides stressed that the aspirations, the goals and the means to achieve those goals of the two countries as regards the Cyprus issue are the same, “despite the fact that there are some in Athens and Nicosia, who, for their own reasons, see differences between the two states.”
The Greek PM noted that Greece’s support for any initiative undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus regarding the Cyprus issue, is “self-evident” despite rumors to the contrary as regards the relations of the two countries.
President Christodoulides also said that he expects a visit by an UN official in early September to prepare for the tripartite meeting in New York between himself, the UN Secretary-General and the Turkish Cypriot leader.
He also said that the tripartite meeting of the leaders of Cyprus, Greece and Israel, that was postponed due to the Israeli Prime Minister’s health, will take place beginning of September. The two leaders also announced that a meeting will be held on the work of the Cyprus-Greece Higher Cooperation Council on October 11-12 in Greece.
President Christodoulides also announced that the Republic of Cyprus will bear the cost of reforesting the areas affected by the recent wildfires in the Greek island of Rhodes.
CNA/EAN/AAR/AGK/2023
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY