Russia’s Ambassador to Cyprus Stanislav Osadchiy chided Turkish-Cypriot self-declared “foreign minister” for claiming there was an official meeting between the two although Moscow recognizes only the legitimate government on the island.

Kudret Ozersay said in a social media post the two had discussed foreign policy issues and made it sound as if they had an official discussion, leading Osadchiy to post in response that, “Mr. Ozersay you know very well that the Russian Federation recognizes only the Republic of Cyprus.”

“Our meeting at the restaurant had an unofficial character as with the leader of any (political) party,” he said, adding that on the day of their meeting Ozersay was not there in any ‘official’ capacity. “I consider your publication about our meeting as an attempt to discredit me personally,” Osadchiy said, the Cyprus Mail said of the embarrassing rebuke.

Turkey has occupied the northern third of the island since an unlawful 1974 invasion while the legitimate government is a member of the European Union that Turkey wants to join, while barring Cypriots ships and planes and still not recognizing the real government.

Ozersay had claimed they talked about recent military activity in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Cyprus wanting the end of an American arms embargo, which Turkey opposes as it’s going to buy Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

Ozersay is the leader of the People’s Party that formed a coalition government with the National Unity Party (UBP) and was to assume the same duties as in the previous self-declared government that only Turkey recognizes.