Greece, Cyprus and their regional ally Jordan on Wednesday, July 28, he called for a “comprehensive and viable solution to the Cyprus problem” after Turkey announced that it would reopen a former resort in the disputed north of the island.
The three leaders who spoke at the Athens summit responded to a statement last week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about plans to reopen Varosha.
The former resort has been a fenced ghost town since the Turkish invasion of 1974 led a UN-backed division that divided the Mediterranean island.
According to a joint statement issued after the summit, the three leaders committed themselves to a “comprehensive and viable solution to the Cyprus problem in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law”. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the recent events in Cyprus “deplorable”.
In his introductory remarks, he said that the summit between the three leaders “reflects the commitment of our countries to bring peace, stability and prosperity to our wider region.”
Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades said that informed other leaders “about the Cyprus problem, especially after recent statements condemned by both the UN Security Council and the EU” to overturn a decision that threatens the fragile status quo in the region.
Erdogan promised that “life in Varos will be restored” during a controversial visit to mark the 47th anniversary of the invasion that divided Cyprus.
Greece and Cyprus have sought to expand cooperation with other countries in the region, taking into account Turkey's more nationalist and expansionist policies under Erdogan.
“We are countries that share the Eastern Mediterranean (region), and I think we will continue to play a vital role and seek wider cooperation,” King Abdullah II of Jordan said during the trialogue.