Replying to journalists when asked about the meeting of the Greek Prime Minister with the Turkish President in Athens, before attending a luncheon hosted by the Spanish Presidency of the EU, in Nicosia, President Christodoulides said that he would be briefed by Prime Minister Mitsotakis after the conclusion of the meeting with Erdogan.

“I hope positive results will emerge. I believe that the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations is something that will also assist our own efforts,” he said.

President Christodoulides emphasized the well-known position of Athens that a complete normalization of Greek-Turkish relations cannot occur without the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

“Therefore, any meeting that may yield positive results, I believe, will also assist our own efforts,” he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.