In statements after a meeting in Nicosia between Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou and Maltese Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, the Maltese FM expressed the solidarity of his country towards Cyprus and assured that Malta would always be on the side of Cyprus.

He said that Malta is “very much concerned” about the Cyprus issue and expressed hope that there will be better developments in the near future, noting that “certain things have not moved fast enough” as regards the Cyprus talks.

“I can assure Cyprus and the Cypriot government that Malta will be on their side”, he stressed.

The Cypriot FM thanked Malta for the support it offers to Cyprus for the solution of the Cyprus problem but also within the EU.

They both talked about a meeting that will take place tomorrow in the coastal town of Limassol with the participation of Foreign Ministers of Mediterranean countries, saying that the meeting would be an informal one, during which they will have an open exchange of views on issues of mutual concern in the Mediterranean region.

The Maltese FM said that the Limassol meeting becomes even more important given the fact that the Union for the Mediterranean “is struggling to move on” and “we need to give it a new injection of life”.

He expressed hope that tomorrow’s meeting will mark the beginning of an Informal Group of Mediterranean countries, “not against someone, but in favor of something, in favor of coordinating our positions as regards the Mediterranean”.