Greece will exhaust every possibility, so that we can have positive developments in the Cyprus issue, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Monday, following a meeting he had with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York.

Speaking to the press, the Foreign Minister said – according to a press release by the Greek Foreign Ministry – that they discussed the Cyprus problem, referring to the appointment of a personal envoy by the SG who has the mandate to proceed with talks.

“We remain firmly committed to the United Nations Security Council resolutions for a bizonal bi-communal federation. The opportunity, which is given, should be used by the sides, to sit at the negotiations table. Greece will exhaust every possibility, so that we can have positive developments in the Cyprus issue’’, he pointed out.

He said that with Guterres they exchanged ideas on current international crises, adding that Greece is committed to international law, foreign policy principles and this is appreciated by the UN and the SG himself “who always looks forward to our cooperation.”

Gerapetritis said that they discussed the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, Haiti and Sub-Saharan Africa. He noted that the UN has a very important role to play and called for a decision-making process that is swift, effective and conveys a sense of integrity. He also called for accountability for those who violate international law.

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.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.