Cyprus expects EU`s more active involvement in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Sunday, ahead of the European Commission President`s visit to Greece.

Kasoulides told the press that during their meeting with the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, “both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Greece will raise issues related to the Cyprus problem and seek the active involvement of the European Commission in the solution process.”

He noted that a bad solution of the Cyprus problem would set bad precedents related to EU`s institutions and values, and the acquis communautaire, creating problems to the EU`s functioning.

The EU should support the position of the Greek Cypriot side “which struggles” not only for Cyprus, but also to defend the interests of the EU, the Foreign Minister said.

As he noted, the solution of the Cyprus issue should not provide for any derogations related to the fundamental freedoms or satisfy Turkey`s demand for the solution and any derrogations to become EU primary law. “This will never be accepted,” he said.

Kasoulides said the Greek Cypriot side would be satisfied if the European Commission`s Representative to the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus Pieter Van Nuffel could fulfil his mandate, noting that the Turkish Cypriot leadership does not however allow this to happen.

According to the Foreign Minister, September “will be a very important, if not a decisive” month for the Cyprus issue. He added that the two sides will have to overcome at least the problems related to the methodology.

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have been engaged in UN-led talks aiming to solve the Cyprus problem since February 2014, when they reached an agreement on a Joint Declaration.

Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974, joined the EU in May 2004.