Cyprus President meets German Chancellor

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who is paying a four-day official visit in Berlin, will meet on Tuesday German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he will have a working lunch.

The meeting`s agenda includes the ongoing UN-led negotiations for a settlement to the Cyprus problem, the role of the EU in the fresh round of talks, as well as the issue of Confidence Building Measures. Anastasiades and Merkel will also explore possible sectors of cooperation between the economies of the two countries.

Merkel and Anastasiades will also discuss the crisis in Ukraine, as both countries are among the block of EU member-states that support a more cautious stance against a possible escalation of EU sanctions against Russia over Moscow`s stance in the Ukrainian criris.

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades, Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides and Cyprus` Ambassador to Germany Minas Hadjimichael will attend the working lunch on behalf of the Cypriot side.

Furthermore, the Cypriot Finance Minister will meet in the afternoon with his German counterpart, Wolfgang Shauble. The meeting will focus on the implementation of Cyprus` €10 billion financial adjustment programme and the associated challenges especially in the banking sector, as well as the developments in Ukraine.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The leaders of the two communities agreed on a joint declaration in February which paved the way for the UN-backed talks to resume with the aim to reunite the island under a federal roof.