The Cyprus issue and the forthcoming five-day meeting, as well as the role of France and bilateral cooperation, were at the center of today's telephone conversation between Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades and his French counterpart Emanuel Macron.
According to a written statement by Cypriot Government Spokesman Kyriakos Kousiou, the communication took place in the context of regular contacts between the two leaders.
The two Presidents exchanged views on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, particularly in relation to the expected convening of the informal "5 + 1" meeting to try and reach an agreement on re-launching the negotiation process for reuniting the island.
Anastasiades conveyed his readiness to participate in substantive talks as soon as possible under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, from where they had remained at the Crans Montana Conference.
The goal of the Republic of Cyprus, underlined Anastasiades, is always to achieve a comprehensive, sustainable and lasting solution of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation, based on UN Security Council resolutions, as well as EU principles and values.
Given that France is one of the Permanent Members of the Security Council, President Anastasiades highlighted the role that Paris can play, in particular on security issues and the implementation of the Cyprus settlement agreement.
Macron reaffirmed France's full support for the resumption of negotiations aimed at resolving the Cyprus issue on the basis of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and EU principles and values.
The two leaders also had the opportunity to discuss issues related to the forthcoming European Council.
Special mention was made about next month's Summit, when the issue of Turkey is expected to be discussed again on the basis of a report to be submitted by the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell.
Macron reiterated Paris' commitment to the strategically important Cyprus-France relationship, which aims to jointly address challenges in the Mediterranean basin, as the two countries share the same vision for peace and stability in the wider region.
He also referred to the excellent and close cooperation between the two countries on a wide range of issues.
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