Anastasiades reaffirms to Xi Cyprus' adherence to One-China Policy, latest Turkish provocations

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades reaffirmed to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping his country's adherence to the One-China Policy and the latest Turkish provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"A pleasure to have a telephone conversation with the President of the People΄s Republic of China Xi Jinping on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries," Anastasiades wrote in a tweet.

"We agreed to further deepen the economic, trade and investment cooperation and acknowledged the positive progress of bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, health, sports and youth," a follow up tweet said.

"I reaffirmed Cyprus adherence to the One-China Policy and informed President Xi Jinping of the latest developments on the Cyprus problem including the latest provocations in Cyprus‘ EEZ and Varosha," Anastasiades concluded.

Ankara claims large areas of the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone under the guise of the pseudo-state of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" that is recognised by no other country but Turkey.

The seaside neighbourhood of Varosha has been occupied by Turkey since its illegal invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974.

The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in 1984 which said any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its original inhabitants is “inadmissible.”

It called “for the transfer of that area to the administration of the United Nations.” A 1992 resolution reaffirmed the 1984 resolution and called for Varosha to be put under control of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Cyprus – but that has not happened.

READ MORE: The U.N. Security Council called on Turkey and Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus on Thursday to close a beach in uninhabited Varosha.