Defence minister received by Cyprus President

Greek Defence Minister Panos Beglitis was received by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias during his visit to Cyprus on Tuesday, conveying Greece’s support for Cyprus after the disastrous fatal accident that rocked the island country some days ago.
“We stand at the side of Cypriot Hellenism, much more during this exceptionally difficult period and after this tragic accident,” he said.
After the meeting, Beglitis said that he had also conveyed the Greek government’s unstinting support for Christofias’ diplomatic and negotiating efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem. He said that they had exchanged views with Christofias on a broad range of issues, including bilateral relations between Greece and Cyprus in defence issues.
Christofias also briefed him on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, while they discussed European developments in view of the emergency Eurozone summit on Thursday in Brussels.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Beglitis stressed the need for “broader national unity” and “respect for institutions” both in Greece and in Cyprus, referring to recent “voices” that were tending to lead to an “instability that is a luxury for Cyprus and Greece”.
He underlined that Greece and Cyprus had to fight together and that his own presence on Cyprus was intended as a message of this, of Greece’s support to Cyprus as it struggled to recover from the latest accident and in its national struggle to solve the political problem on the island.In addition to Christofias, the minister had separate meetings with the Cyprus Parliament speaker Yiannakis Omirou and the leaders of Cyprus political parties.