Spain fully supports a solution to the Cyprus problem but stresses that even without a settlement, the island will accede to the EU together with the other candidate countries as scheduled, Cyprus Interior Minister Andreas Panayiotou said here today.

As the CNA reports, in his remarks to the press after a courtesy call by Spanish Ambassador to Cyprus Ignacio Garcia Valdecasas, Panayiotou expressed the government's appreciation towards Spain's stance regarding the Cyprus issue and the country's EU accession course.

The Spanish diplomat noted that during the Spanish EU Presidency Cyprus has technically closed all negotiating chapters.

Valdecasas announced that the Spanish Embassy in Cyprus would officially be operational by mid of September.