Statements of Foreign Minister N. Kotzias and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides, following their meeting (Nicosia, 27 March 2017)

I. KASOULIDES: I welcome our friend the Foreign Minister of Greece, Nikos Kotzias. Before our consultations here, Mr. Kotzias had a very productive meeting with the President of the Republic, focused on the Cyprus problem.

As you know, the Greek government is making tireless and unstinting efforts towards the finding of a viable and European solution to the Cyprus problem, without anachronistic systems of military guarantees.

Mr. Kotzias himself has developed relevant ideas on the issue, and I would like to reiterate my warm thanks for his personal involvement in the issue.

Here at the Foreign Ministry, we reviewed and analysed the joint efforts, including a mutual briefing on our meetings with various countries we have visited. But what I wanted to stress here is that it is now being shown that all of these efforts towards a joint policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, the trilateral cooperation schemes that were formed with the moderate states of the Eastern Mediterranean, our joint and our separate efforts to participate in the Coalition against terrorism and the collaboration we have carried out – proving that we are important countries and 'bulwark' countries, as I have often said, against the asymmetrical threats in the region – are today proving how useful all of this is and how we can reap rewards in the service of the national issues of Greece and Cyprus.

Mr. Minister, welcome once again.

N. KOTZIAS: Being here generates two feelings in me: The one is that I am moved to be in Cyprus, and the other is joy and great respect at being at the Foreign Ministry of Cyprus, together with my dear friend, whom I respect deeply for his experience and knowledge, Ioannis Kasoulides.

As the Minister said, we talked about where our region is heading, about how we can even better ensure security and stability in this region. We looked at where our trilateral cooperation schemes stand, and we talked about extending this cooperation with new countries; extending this whole security system.

We briefed each other on our trips, the talks we had with Foreign Ministers and National Security Advisors, in a number of countries where I and Mr. Kasoulides went for meetings, and we examined the new potential opening up for our foreign policy and for the interests of the two states and Europe. Naturally, we talked about the course of the Cyprus issue, on which we have excellent cooperation and common concerns.

In addition to the Minister, I also want to thank the President of the Republic, with whom I had a long and, as always, interesting and friendly discussion. I thank the government of Cyprus very much, and in particular the Foreign Minister, for the good talks we are having on the island.

JOURNALIST: Questions for both ministers.

I. KASOULIDES: The two leaders will meet for the first time — following interruption of the negotiations for what we consider an unimportant reason — in a meeting of a social nature, at a dinner, and they will have the opportunity for a sincere exchange of thoughts and intentions, and whatever they decide they will announce to us at that time. What more can I say than, when you have differences, the differences are resolved at the negotiating table, and not away from it.

N. KOTZIAS: I will agree in any case with everything the Minister said with regard to his question. Regarding the relationship between Greece and Cyprus, it is well known that the Cyprus problem has two dimensions: an internal dimension and and international dimension. Greece never got involved in the internal dimension, and, like me personally, nor did it express an opinion. Because we fully – I underscore, fully – and completely support the policy of the Republic of Cyprus.

Regarding the external aspect, the sense I gathered from the negotiations in Geneva was that Turkey was not ready. It also may be the case – and this will become apparent in the future, at the negotiating table – that it doesn't really and essentially want to discuss the so-called guarantees issue, the issue of the treaty of guarantees and, under today's conditions, its obligation to renounce the so-called rights of intervention, which in my opinion are non-existent and illegal.

Turkey left the negotiating table in Geneva at precisely this point, on which it does not have answers or does not want to have answers. And as I expected – it was my prediction – it is raising other issues, like the four freedoms, for example, so that any continuation of the talks concerns issues irrelevant to the Cyprus problem, and not the core of the Cyprus problem, which is the occupation of northern Cyprus.

Regarding the second part of your question, I support one's keeping the talks going and keeping the channels of communication between Greece and Turkey open. It is a policy the development of which I myself contributed to in the 1990s. It was a time when, together with Giannos Kranidiotis, we worked for Cyprus's accession to the European Union, and since that time I have been a supporter of our keeping the dialogue going.

Turkey has a difficulty at this time, because it isn't talking but, sometimes, yelling. Yelling because it is – as we in Greece have analysed the situation, and as is internationally accepted at this time – a restless power.

I hope it overcomes its domestic issues and its restlessness so that we can return to a substantial and rational dialogue based on international law and the real rights of states.

JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, you had meetings in the U.S. with the new Trump administration. I would like your assessment as to the extent there is an upgrading of the U.S.'s relations with Greece and Cyprus, the extent to which they are seen as countries that can play a role of stability and security for the region, and whether the U.S. can be expected to intervene on the Cyprus issue. Thank you.

N. KOTZIAS: I am a supporter of multi-dimensional, proactive foreign policy, democratic foreign policy. And I believe that U.S. foreign policy is currently in time of transition, and it is worth our effort to try to make them aware and show the reach of the views and proposals we have for the region.

To show that, in this region of great instability, Greece and Cyprus, Cyprus and Greece, are an axis of stability that can contribute to the stabilisation of the whole region, and especially the countries of current interest to American foreign policy, Egypt and Israel.

We aren't passively observing U.S. foreign policy. We are trying to be an active participant in this policy; that is, to explain, to propose and to make gains through our arguments. That does not mean that this is always possible. But we are pursuing it.

I. KASOULIDES: Thank you very much.