Russian Foreign Minister, Cypriot President Discuss Cyprus Reconciliation

Sergei Lavrov and Nicos Anastasiades discussed the ongoing process of the Cyprus conflict settlement.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades discussed the ongoing process of the Cyprus conflict settlement, the ministry said in a statement.

The Eastern Mediterranean island has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern part and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) nearly a decade later. Only Turkey recognizes the TRNC, also known as Northern Cyprus.

After a seven-month hiatus, negotiations to create a united Cyprus federation, which would be a bi-communal, bi-zonal state resumed on May 15, leading to the removal of visa requirements as a goodwill gesture and a step toward reunification.

During the Sunday's meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly underway in New York, the Russian side "has confirmed its commitment to a comprehensive viable and just solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the UN Security Council’s resolutions in the interest of both Cypriot communities, without any pressure from outside."

Besides, Lavrov and Anastasiades discussed the development of the bilateral relations between Russia and Cyprus and several pressing issues of the international agenda, including growing destabilization in the Middle East.