By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov begins his two-day visit to Cyprus on Sunday.
During his visit, Lavrov is expected to meet with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopolous and his Cypriot counterpart Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis.
The talks will focus on “key regional problems, the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, the Mediterranean region and in the Balkans,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin earlier said.
Cyprus was divided into Greek and Turkish sectors in 1974 and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed in 1983. A plan to resolve the conflict failed as the sides were unable to come to an agreement by the March 2003 UN-set deadline.
The talks are expected to touch upon the issue.
Kamynin also said that Moscow regarded Cyprus as a partner in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. He added that Cyprus was a “trusted and stable economic partner” and “a very attractive tourist destination for Russians.”
This year, some 200,000 Russian tourists are expected to visit Cyprus.