Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Erato Kozakou Markoullis briefed British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Tuesday on current developments in the Cyprus problem, especially in the light of a recent meeting in New York between the UN Secretary General and the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus.

She also briefed him on Turkish threats against the Republic of Cyprus for exercising its sovereign rights to carry out explorations for natural gas in its exclusive economic zone.

Moreover, Markoullis referred to preparations for the Cypriot presidency of the EU in the second half of 2012, and they exchanged views on ways to cooperate during this period.

They furthermore discussed developments in the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean, and issues concerning bilateral relations between Cyprus and Britain.