The Cyprus problem was among the issues discussed during the two-hour meeting, Foreign Affairs Ministers of Greece and Turkey had on Friday, in Athens. In their statements, George Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan reiterated the two countries’ positions on the matter.
“Greece’s positions on the Cyprus problem are well known. We support a solution within the framework of the Security Council Resolutions based on a bicommunal bizonal federation. We hope that the recent informal meeting in New York will create the conditions for the resumption of dialogue,” the Greek Foreign Minister said.
“In a world full of divisions, a united European Cyprus, apart from the conditions of prosperity it would create for its citizens, would be an extremely important universal symbol,” Gerapetritis added.
On his part, Fidan, did not make a direct reference to a “two-state solution”, but excluded the possibility of the “model of the federation”.
As he said, Turkey’s stance is clear and firm. “It has been proven over time that the model of the federation is no longer applicable on the island. A new spirit is needed to ensure the security, freedom and prosperity of both Turks and Greeks on the island,” the Turkish Foreign Minister concluded.
