Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos met in Brussels with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides, on the margins of the Foreign Affairs and General Affairs Councils, which are being carried out from 14 to 16 December.
Mr. Venizelos briefed Mr. Kasoulides in person on everything that transpired – with regard to the major issue of the violation of the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights via the presence of the Turkish vessel Barbaros in the Cypriot EEZ and continental shelf and with regard to the conditions for the reopening of the negotiations – within the framework of the Greek-Turkish High-Level Cooperation Council on December 5 and 6, in Athens, and, subsequently, at Mr. Venizelos’ meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the margins of the 12 December BSEC Ministerial in Thessaloniki.
Messrs. Venizelos and Kasoulides also met on 4 December at the offices of Greece’s Permanent Representation to NATO, following Mr. Venizelos’ visit to Ankara and Istanbul and before the convening in Athens of the Greek-Turkish High-Level Cooperation Council.
Greece is acting, in this case, by conveying in writing the position of President Nicos Anastasiades, within the framework discussed with the Cypriot political leadership during the 7 November visit of the Prime Minister and Mr. Venizelos to Nicosia.
The common goal of Greece and Cyprus is the protection of the existence, the international legal personality, the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, and – that being secured – the reopening of the negotiations within the framework of the 11 February 2014 Joint Communiqué.
December 15, 2014