Egypt has voiced unlimited support for negotiations to resolve the Cypriot crisis and the unification of the island’s Turkish and Greek communities, according to a statement by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Egypt’s declaration was made Wednesday as Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry convened on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York with Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.
The ministers “reaffirmed their unwavering support to the ongoing negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem that will reunify the island in accordance with international law, and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions,” the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
“Such a settlement would not only benefit the people of Cyprus as a whole, but would also significantly contribute to stability and peace in the region,” said the statement.
Cyprus has endured decades of division between its Greek and Turkish sections as part of a broader conflict between the governments of Turkey and Greece over the affiliation of the Mediterranean island since Greece intervened militarily to annex the island in 1974.
Turkey had denounced a tripartite summit in May gathering the presidents of Egypt and Greek Cyprus, as well as the Greek prime minister, in which the trio agreed on enhanced cooperation in energy, defense and security.
