The EU Commission Vice President Josep Borrell expressed hope that the first meeting between the EU and Turkey after five years would constitute the 'first step' towards the resumption of UN-led talks for a solution to the Cyprus problem. The EU Foreign and Security Policy chief yesterday presided over an informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels in the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in the first EU-Turkey meeting since 2019. In a press conference after the meeting, Borrell said many member-states raised the issue of the Cyprus problem, adding that 'we expressed the solidarity of the European Union with the position of Cyprus and our will to look for a solution through political dialogue.' 'Let's hope that this invitation to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Trkiye to our [informal] meeting will be the first step to re-take a process of dialogue in order to look for a solution to this problem - to all the problems, but in particular the Cyprus one,' Borrell added. Turkey, whi ch aspires to become an EU member state, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus an EU member state since May 2004. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. The EU Council in April decided to advance the Union's relations with Turkey 'in a phased, proportionate and reversible manner, stating that 'in this regard, the European Union attaches particular importance to resumption of and progress in the Cyprus settlement talks in further enhancing EU-Trkiye cooperation.' Source: Cyprus News Agency