Greece and Cyprus coordinate regional strategy

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides will hold meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias as Athens and Nicosia coordinate regional diplomacy.

On Monday, the two Foreign Ministers will discuss bilateral relations, the Cyprus Problem, as well as issues of regional interest such as Turkey-EU relations and maritime accord Libya signed with Ankara.

Christodoulides and Dendias will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations and Technical Cooperation between the Cypriot and the Greek Foreign Ministries.

Later on Monday, at around 17.30 local time, Christodoulides will be received by Mitsotakis who will brief him on the results of his recent trip to the United States and meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Christodoulides said his consultations in Athens will lead to “certain very specific moves in the immediate future”.

He said his meeting with counterpart Dendias is an opportunity “together with technocrats from both sides, to discuss in-depth, not just developments in the region, which are very important and affect the two countries but also relations between EU and Turkey, Turkey’s future…”

“I consider the meeting with the Greek Foreign Affairs Minister as particularly important, taking into account the crucial nature of these moments,” he added.

Christodoulides also referred to a meeting on Tuesday at the Foreign Ministry with US Assistant Secretary of Consular Affairs Carl Risch, with the participation of the Interior and Justice Ministers.

The aim, “is to review the situation on the negotiations in the matter of ending the need for a visa for holders of Cypriot passports for the United States and to discuss the next steps.”

“The ultimate goal is to reach the desired outcome within 2020.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled a planned visit to Cyprus this month due to tensions with Iran, no new date has been set.