Greek Prime Minister and President meet over Cyprus

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with the President Prokopis Pavlopoulos to brief him on developments ahead of the crucial Cyprus talks in Geneva on Thursday.

"Once again we state our determination to find a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem in the framework of UN resolutions but also of Cyprus' status as an EU member state," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said after his meeting.

The meeting follows the Greek PMs successive discussions over the phone with British PM Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on developments in the negotiations on the Cyprus issue.

Tsipras said the Greek side will fully exhaust all options, right up to the last minute, to find such a solution but also that the final result "does not depend on one side only’’ reiterating the fact that there was a common view among the political forces on the standing positions of the Greek side was especially positive, Tsipras added, as was the "full support of the Greek political world for the efforts of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades for a good outcome and a viable and just solution."

Cyprus' EU status reinforces the arguments of the Greek side, which considers inconceivable any plan for a solution that allows third countries rights of intervention and occuption troops, he added.

The prime minister noted that any solution must, at the end of the day, be for the benefit of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, and one that is viable, functional and "removes the fear from the Cypriot people."