Cyprus Foreign Minister received by Ecumenical Patriarch

Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcos Kyprianou was received on Tuesday by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, where he expressed Cyprus' full support to the Patriarchate.

He added that the common position of Greece and Cyprus is that, in the framework of Turkey's EU accession course, Ankara must solve problems concerning the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Commenting on remarks by US President Barack Obama that the USA and the UN support the direct talks for a Cyprus settlement, aiming at a bizonal bicommunal federation, Kyprianou said this statement ''sends the right message.''

With his meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Kyprianou wrapped up his visit to Constantinople, where he participated in the 2nd meeting for the Alliance of Civilisations, on the sidelines of which he had the opportunity to meet new Turkish Minister of State for Turkey's EU accession negotiations Egemen Bagis.