Anastasiades asks Putin to help with Turkey, as Lavrov plans visit to Cyprus

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Cyprus on September 8  for a more “detailed review of developments” and to discuss “joint action” for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cypriot government spokesman Kyriakos Kousios said on Thursday.

The news was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, initiated by the latter.

Kousios told journalists that Anastasiades asked Putin to help convince Turkey to stop its “illegal activities.” He also reiterated his will to continue talks for a viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

In a readout issued by the Kremlin, it said that the two leaders “discussed in detail current issues of Russia-Cyprus interaction in various spheres and emphasised the need to improve the contractual legal framework of bilateral relations, including in finance and investment.”

They also discussed “regional agenda, including the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the prospects for the Cyprus settlement.”