Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos met today with the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus, Alexander Downer.
Mr. Downer briefed Mr. Avramopoulos on his recent meetings in Cyprus and his thoughts on the next steps in the UN process, and they also discussed the outlook for the reopening of the negotiations.
Mr. Avramopoulos stressed that Greece supports the Good Offices of the UN Secretary General and Mr. Downer’s efforts, also underscoring the importance of creating a climate conducive to the reopening of the negotiations – which were discontinued at the initiative of the Turkish Cypriot side – noting that the Republic of Cyprus’s new government’s immediate priority, as things stand, is to deal with the economic crisis.
Mr. Avramopoulos also stressed that the Cyprus issue is a matter of respect for the principles, values and rules of the international community and international law. In this context, it is imperative that a solution be reached within the parameters set by the UN Resolutions and the Republic of Cyprus’s membership in the European Union.
Following the meeting, the Foreign Ministry’s Secretary General, Ambassador Anastassis Mitsialis, hosted a working luncheon for Mr. Downer.
April 25, 2013