By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON (AA) – The UK and Greece agreed Tuesday to encourage further steps towards a settlement in Cyprus, the British government said in a statement.
The agreement came when British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras met at government offices at 10 Downing Street in London.
The two premieres also discussed regional issues, the statement said.
Tsipras welcomed “the constructive role the UK has played in the talks so far as one of the guarantors,” it added.
The UN has sought a peace deal to unite Cyprus under a federal umbrella that could also define the future of Europe's relations with Turkey, a key player in the conflict.
The latest attempt to reunify the long-divided Mediterranean island ended in failure in 2017 after two years of negotiations.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
Also discussing relations between Turkey and Greece, they agreed that “continued dialogue was vital in ensuring regional stability”.
They also talked about various issues that Greece faces with illegal migration and agreed that this is a “shared challenge that requires a coordinated and comprehensive response including through the continued implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement”.
May said the UK would send an additional Border Force cutter vessel to the Aegean Sea to carry out vital search and rescue operations.
In addition, May congratulated Tsipras for the “progress made by the Greek economy and the important steps taken last week towards Greece’s exit from the economic adjustment program in August”.
May also welcomed the historic agreement reached on the longstanding name issue with Greece’s northern neighbor, which is set to change its name from Macedonia to the Republic of Northern Macedonia, and the benefits this will bring to regional stability, the statement added.
The British and Greek leaders also discussed Brexit and responding to malign activity by Russia, according to the statement.