Greek foreign minister drops by Nicosia

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is visiting the Republic of Cyprus on Friday, here he will meet with his counterpart and the country’s president ahead of an upcoming EU Foreign Affairs Council with a focus on Turkey.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, President Nicos Anastasiades received Dendias at the Presidential Palace on Friday morning, while the Greek minister was also expected to go across the street at the Foreign Ministry where he will meet with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Christodoulides.

The two ministers are expected to make statements to the media, following the a tête-à-tête and extensive consultations on a host of issues, including the Cyprus issue and ongoing talks in Brussels concerning EU-Turkey relations.

Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Greeks and Greek Cypriots of “exploiting solidarity within the European Union” as well as “imposing a maximalist agenda” against Turkey.

Greece and the Republic of Cyprus maintain that Ankara has been a destabilizing factor in the region, while calling on allies in Brussels to use sanctions as a tool to put pressure on Turkey.

On Monday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will chair a foreign affairs council, which will take stock of the latest international developments.

Pressing issues during the meeting will include developments concerning Turkey, the post-election situation in Georgia, legislative elections in Venezuela, and human rights.