NICOSIA (Sputnik) — On May 18-20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid a visit to Cyprus and held meetings with his counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides and Anastasiades to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. Concerning the Cyprus reunification talks, Lavrov reiterated Russia's position, which is that the settlement should comply with the UN Security Council resolutions and be based on the arrangements between both Cypriot and Turkish communities.
"I also had an opportunity to thank Mr. Lavrov for Russia’s consistent support on the Cyprus issue, both at the bilateral as well as the multilateral level and expressed my gratitude and appreciation to President Putin and the Government of the Russian Federation for their support," Anastasiades said.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov reacted to the first such reports in January stating that Russia had always supported a fair and long-term solution for the island. Chizhov stressed Russia's belief that both communities living on the island should be able to make decisions on their future without external interference.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's north, later proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey maintains military presence in TRNC, which is only recognized by Ankara as an independent state. The leaders of the two country's communities have been engaged in UN-backed mediation talks since 2015.
