Nice: President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and Jordan’s King Abdullah II discussed regional developments and issues related to the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Jordan. The two leaders met in Nice, France, on the sidelines of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference.
According to Cyprus News Agency, a written statement from the Director of the President’s Press Office, Victoras Papadopoulos, indicated that during their discussion, President Christodoulides informed the Jordanian King about the priorities of Cyprus’s Presidency of the EU Council, which include bringing the EU closer to the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the broader Middle East. They also addressed regional developments and bilateral relations between Cyprus and Jordan.
The meeting also served as an opportunity for President Christodoulides to brief King Abdullah on the developments in the Cyprus problem, in preparation for the upcoming expanded conference in New York. The President shared his efforts to resume negotiations based on the agreed framework and from the point where they were interrupted.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended without a resolution.
The UN Secretary-General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva on March 17-18. The two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, including opening crossing points, creating a Technical Committee on Youth, and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.