MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th June, 2023) Increased European Union involvement in negotiations on the Cyprus problem could help resolve the crisis, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday.
"The Cyprus problem is not only a Cypriot question, it is also a European question, and I believe that an increased EU involvement at all stages of the negotiation can only be helpful especially as any solution needs to be properly aligned with the EU. It is clear that a solution needs to be found within the framework of the UN," Metsola said during a joint press conference with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Strasbourg.
She added that the bloc could contribute to the resumption of talks between the two parties by sending a high-profile envoy for that mission.
"The EU potentially through an envoy of the right caliber could facilitate a new impetus to the negotiations (between the two sides in Cyprus) so they can start again and the restart of the talks must be our first steps and priority," Metsola said.
The island of Cyprus has been de facto divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded it to support Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was unilaterally declared in 1983 and is only diplomatically recognized by Ankara.
Tensions around the island escalated again on Monday when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his first overseas trip to the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after his reelection in late May. The Cypriot Foreign Ministry condemned Erdogan's visit, saying that it was a "blantant violation of relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council."
