PΜ Mitsotakis raised Cyprus issue insistently during US visit

PΜ Mitsotakis raised Cyprus issue insistently during US visit, Greek Government Spokesperson says

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis raised the Cyprus issue insistently during his recent official visit to the US, Greek Government Spokesperson Yiannis Economou said during Thursday’s briefing of political editors.

The Greek Prime Minister raised the Cyprus issue insistently both during his bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and in his address before the Congress, he said.

Mitsotakis asked President Biden “to exert his influence in order to get the negotiation process back on track, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions”, Economou added.

Moreover, the Greek Prime Minister asked from the members of Congress “not to forget the open wound caused, for 48 years, by the invasion that resulted in the division and occupation of Cyprus.” “And he reiterated that no one will accept a ‘two-state solution’ in Cyprus,” Economou noted.

As regards the Greek-Turkish relations, the Government Spokesperson continued, Mitsotakis denounced the issue of Turkish overflights over Greek islands, stressing that they must be stopped immediately.

“[Mitsotakis] reiterated, explicitly and unequivocally, that we will not accept any violation of our sovereignty and sovereign rights. We will not accept – he told Congress – aggressive actions that violate our sovereignty and our territorial rights,” he said.

At the same time, Economou added, “he stressed that the last thing NATO needs at this time is another source of instability in the Southeastern wing of the Alliance. And he asked members of Congress to keep this in mind when making decisions on defence procurement decisions concerning the Eastern Mediterranean.”

The Greek Government Spokesperson also noted that Mitsotakis highlighted Greece’s determination to act as a pillar for regional prosperity and security and to always seek peaceful means to resolve its disputes with its neighbours.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.