Lavrov says Cyprus deal must be 'mutually acceptable'

By Idyli Tsakiri

ATHENS, Greece

Russia’s foreign minister said Wednesday it was essential for United Nations Security Council decisions to be implemented in the Cyprus dispute.

Sergey Lavrov spoke during a visit to Athens and said a deal “must be stable and mutually acceptable by the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots”.

Cyprus reunification talks resumed in May last year. The island was divided after a 1974 coup backed by a military junta in Athens was prevented by Turkey’s intervention as a guarantor power.

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are due to meet for further peace talks later this month in Switzerland.

The Athens news conference, which followed a meeting with Lavrov’s Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias, came after earlier news from Moscow that Russia will hold another “humanitarian pause” in attacks on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

The Russian and Syrian regime bombardment will halt for 10 hours on Friday, Nov. 4 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the head of the Russian General Staff’s operations department, Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy, told a news conference in Moscow.

While in Athens, the Russian minister also met Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Lavrov also attended the 4th Greek-Russian Social Forum, where he spoke briefly to the audience, stressing mutual friendship between the two countries.

The Russian minister's visit to Greece comes two weeks before the arrival of outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama.