Nicosia said on Thursday it is “completely satisfied” with the outcome of informal discussions in Brussels between EU foreign ministers and Turkey’s chief diplomat, as EU states reiterated the position that the Cyprus issue remains inextricably linked to Ankara’s European bid.

In remarks after a working lunch of EU foreign ministers, attended by Turkey’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan, Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos said the issue of Cyprus remains “a fundamental factor in terms of any progress in EU-Turkey relations”.

The two issues cannot be decoupled, Kombos added.

During the discussion, lasting an unexpected three hours, Fidan raised points which are part of Ankara’s longstanding views. The Turkish views were “answered” by the other foreign ministers citing international law, said Kombos.

Unnamed diplomatic sources said that at some point Fidan put forward the view that on Cyprus there exist ‘two sovereignly equal states’ that need to work together so as not impact EU-Turkey relations, which are a separate issue.

Earlier, while walking into the meeting, the Cypriot minister had called Turkey “a regional actor” – something he said “comes with responsibilities”.

He added: “The framework for EU-Turkey relations is clear. It’s up to Turkey to make the choice.”

Fidan and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis also held a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the informal council.

Greece’s top diplomat reportedly pointed out to Fidan the need to restart negotiations on the Cyprus problem, in the framework of UN Security Council decisions, as well as utilising the opportunity presented by the improvement of Greco-Turkish relations.

The two foreign ministers also discussed Greco-Turkish relations and Turkey’s EU prospects.

Greek diplomatic sources said Gerapetritis said Athens supports Turkey’s European prospects, however it was necessary for Turkey to respect the acquis Communautaire, the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all member states and the EU common foreign and security policy.

This, he said, demanded greater coordination between Turkey and the EU, according to the sources.

Gerapetritis raised issues that had caused tension between the two countries in the recent past, adding it was necessary to create a good climate, to avoid tension and to respect international law.

The two ministers also discussed the upcoming meeting in New York between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of the UN Security Council.

The sources said they would be discussing the timeframe and the next steps in the dialogue between the two countries.

Relations between the EU and Turkey, as well as the Cyprus problem, were on the agenda of a working lunch on Thursday between the EU foreign ministers and their Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Tuesday that Cyprus was an important part of EU-Turkey relations and that discussions with Turkey would cover interests that “either converge or overlap”.

The informal meeting began with a discussion of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

During the working lunch, the ministers exchanged views on EU-Turkish relations, as well as regional and international matters of mutual interest.

On Thursday afternoon, they will discuss developments in the Middle East, with the participation of UN coordinator Sigrid Kaag, who will brief them on the humanitarian situation on the ground.

The ministers’ agenda also includes the political crisis in Venezuela.

Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership in December 1999. Negotiations for full membership started in October 2005. Progress was slow – out of the 35 chapters necessary to complete the accession process, only 16 had been opened and one had been closed by May 2016.

Since 2016, accession negotiations have stalled.