Issues that the Cypriot presidency of the EU will handle in the second half of 2012, such as the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), were discussed during a meeting in Nicosia on Tuesday between Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Demetris Eliades and Greek Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Costas Skandalides, along with their delegations.

Skandalides said the process to reform CAP would take “a few months, with tough negotiations, and we hope that the Cypriot presidency will be so successful that the summit which will decide the final points for CAP for the period 2014-2020 will be especially favorable for the interests of Cyprus and Greece.“

The Greek Minister assured Eliades that Cyprus would have the full support of Greece, which has organised “very successful presidencies since 1989.“

Asked if they discussed problems arising from the transportation of mainly agricultural products from the northern Turkish occupied areas to the southern government controlled areas of Cyprus and from there to the rest of the EU, and the issue of direct trade between the EU and the occupied areas, Eliades said they had not, noting that they did discuss the harsh competition European producers face due to the import of goods from third countries, which are cheaper.