Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (R) shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, on June 14, 2022. The presidents of the State of Palestine and Cyprus held talks here on Tuesday and signed bilateral cooperation agreements, an official statement said. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)
NICOSIA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The presidents of the State of Palestine and Cyprus held talks here on Tuesday and signed bilateral cooperation agreements, an official statement said.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades told the press that he and visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on the need to convene a summit meeting that would bring together Cyprus, Greece and Palestine in the context of their tripartite cooperation agreements.
He also said that they discussed developments on the problems of Palestine and Cyprus, the two longest outstanding international issues on the United Nations (UN) agenda dating back to the late 1940s and the 1950s.
Anastasiades said that there is a need to respect international law and to solve any disputes on the basis of the United Nations Charter provisions and relevant international agreements.
He also said he thanked the Palestinian president for his support for a solution to the Cyprus problem in line with the UN resolutions and existing agreements providing for the creation of a federal Cypriot state.
Anastasiades said he assured Abbas that the two countries' close ties are not and will never be to the detriment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
Abbas said there has been a stalemate in efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian problem "because the current government of Israel has suspended all agreements."
Cyprus and the State of Palestine established relations in 1988. ■
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (1st L, Front) welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (2nd L, Front) at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, on June 14, 2022. The presidents of the State of Palestine and Cyprus held talks here on Tuesday and signed bilateral cooperation agreements, an official statement said. (PIO/Handout via Xinhua)
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (L, Front) talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R, Front) at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, on June 14, 2022. The presidents of the State of Palestine and Cyprus held talks here on Tuesday and signed bilateral cooperation agreements, an official statement said. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)
