Greece and Cyprus affirmed, Wednesday, their support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
A joint communique, issued following a meeting for foreign ministers of the three countries, and held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, said they “expressed their support for a two-State solution on the basis of the 4 June 1967 lines, leading to a sovereign, independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.”
According to WAFA correspondence, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki held talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides, and the foreign minister of Greece, Nikos Kotzias, during which they discussed “issues of mutual interest, including developments in the Middle East and their impact on the wider region, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Cyprus issue, as well as areas for future trilateral cooperation,” said the communique.
The three officials called for ”just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the relevant United Nations Resolutions, the Madrid principles including land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative.”
They also expressed their “serious concern that current trends on the ground threaten to a make a two-state solution impossible, reiterated in this regard that all settlement activities are illegal under international law, and stressed the need for affirmative steps to halt and reverse these trends.”
They welcomed efforts by France to revive the peace process and “concurred that a permanent solution to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict in accordance with international law would greatly boost security and stability across the region and beyond.”
On the Cypriot issue, the three officials “reaffirmed their unwavering support to the ongoing negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem that will reunify the island in accordance with international law and the relevant UNSC Resolutions.”
The communique said that the officials “highlighted that the solution of the Cyprus problem must address the concerns and aspirations of the Cypriots themselves, without any rights of military intervention, and must respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus.”
They agreed to continue working together “for the benefit of their peoples and the wider region, to effectively promote their common values and interests, including cooperation in international fora and organizations as well as on projects inter-alia in the fields of tourism, education and training, environment, conservation and management of water resources, energy and agriculture.”
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