Greece seeks solution of debt crisis within EU

Athens, April 17 (IANS/EFE) Greece seeks a solution to the debt crisis within the European Union (EU), Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday in a meeting with visiting Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.

The Cyprus issue, EU relations, economy and regional cooperation was at the top of the agenda of their talks.

On Greece's ongoing negotiations with lenders on the terms of further financing to keep Greece afloat and within the eurozone, Tsipras said in joint statements that his government considered the crisis as a European one and was seeking "a solution within the EU".

Concerning the region, Tsipras underlined that Greece and Cyprus are pylons of stability in a part of the world that has been destabilised by conflicts and expressed willingness to cooperate with all sides to promote peace and prosperity.

As a first step Greece and Cyprus have agreed on a trilateral meeting with Egypt "that contributes towards the safeguarding of the peace and stability in the wider area of the Eastern Mediterranean", Tsipras said.

On the Cyprus issue, the Greek premier said that Athens will continue supporting all efforts aimed at the successful outcome of bi-community discussions for a just and viable solution to the issue.

On his part, Anastasiades said that Europe must focus on policies to restore growth.

On the Cyprus issue, he said that the Greek Cypriot side has "stretched out the hand to Turkey for peace and cooperation so as to focus on growth for the benefit of people".

Turkey controlled the northern part of Cyprus in 1974, reacting to a coup by Greek army officers. Repeated rounds of negotiations since then have failed to produce an agreement to reunify the island.