Greece will continue joint efforts for Cyprus peace deal, PM tells Christodoulides

Greece will continue joint efforts to solve the Cyprus problem on the basis of UN resolutions, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Mediterranean island's newly-elected president Nikos Christodoulides during a meeting in Athens Monday.

"Talks on the Cyprus issue must restart, with possibly greater European involvement," Mitsotakis said, adding that the "crucial issues that concern Greece and Cyprus" will be in the focus of the upcoming European Council to be held March 23-24.

The Greek premier expressed hope that the recent de-escalation of tensions in the Aegean, after a long period of Turkish provocations and aggression, "could have an impact on the Cyprus issue."