FMs of Cyprus, Greece have talks ahead of regional meeting

NICOSIA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus and Greece discussed coordinating their actions on Tuesday ahead of a regional meeting on Wednesday and talks between the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey on Thursday.

Greek Foreign Minister George Katrougalos, paying his first overseas visit in Nicosia, had talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Christodoulides on issues, such as thorny aspects of the Cyprus problem, he will discuss in Ankara on Thursday with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

In remarks to reporters, Katrougalos said he would ask Cavusoglu how Turkey proposes to replace guarantee and intervention rights in Cyprus with a new security mechanism which "will not have any characteristics that are contrary to the international law".

Invoking intervention rights, Turkey militarily intervened the eastern Mediterranean island in July 1974 in reaction to a coup staged by the military rulers of Greece at that time.

United Nations-led negotiations since 1976 have failed to produce a solution to the problem. The UN is currently engaged in consultations with the sides involved to obtain their consent for the resumption of negotiations.