ATHENS – President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Wednesday received the new Foreign Minister of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides at the Presidential Mansion and congratulated him on the assumption of his new duties.

Sakellaropoulou underlined that Kasoulides’ previous experience in the same position constitutes a guarantee for the defence of the Greek-Cypriots and of the interests of the Republic of Cyprus in an especially difficult time.

The Greek president also underlined that Turkey’s obsession with making unacceptable demands for two-state solution with “equal sovereignty” for the two entities, as well as the continued Turkish belligerence in Varosha, in Cyprus’ maritime zones and in the wider region of Eastern Mediterranean will not weaken the efforts for the resumption of negotiations on an overall solution of the Cyprus issue based on the decisions of UN Security Council.

On his part, Kasoulides expressed the Cypriot people’s gratitude to the Greeks, stating that their alignment is the main pillar of Cyprus’ struggle and noting that the transition of the Cyprus Republic into an functional bizonal, bicommunal federation with one sovereignty, one international personality and one nationality, exactly as provided by UN Security Council resolutions, constitutes a fixed aim for Cyprus.