The President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, conveyed to the new Ambassador of Cyprus to the country, Vasilios Filippou, his Government's interest in further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation with Cyprus, in the fields of investment, green transition, tourism and shipping.

The new Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the Federal Republic of Brazil presented his credentials to the President of Brazil during an official ceremony held on November 17, at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia.

As stated in a PIO press release, during the meeting that followed between President Lula and Ambassador Filippou, the latter conveyed to Lula the greetings of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and "expressed the Government's commitment to further enhance the already excellent relations between the two countries, both at the bilateral level and within the framework of the European Union, and their cooperation within various international organizations".

According to the press release, President Lula wished for the peaceful reunification of Cyprus as soon as possible. He also referred to the ever-growing Cyprus-Brazil bilateral relations, noting in particular the progress already achieved in the field trade between the two countries. The Brazilian President also conveyed his Government's interest in further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation, especially in the fields of investment, green transition, tourism and shipping, the press release concluded.

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.