The European Union is ready for “constructive solutions” on the Cyprus problem from Turkey, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Tuesday, ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s attendance at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Thursday.

“We are willing to hear from our Turkish counterparts how they aim to find constructive solutions,” he told journalists, adding that the EU’s discussions with Turkey will concern “a number of issues where our interests either converge or overlap.

“This will be the first opportunity for the 27 member states’ foreign ministers to discuss with the relatively new Turkish foreign minister … the issues which are of importance for the EU,” he said.

He added, “these issues include relations between the EU and Turkey, and a very important part of this is of course the Cyprus problem, and how Cyprus is treated by Turkey.”

He added that the meeting will constitute an “informal discussion”, where “they will see where we stand, where Turkey stands, and how we want to approach issues of common interest.”

Briefly touching once again on the Cyprus problem, he said the matter is “very important” but that “there is nothing particularly new to say”.

“The EU’s position has been formulated very clearly, it was recently recalled in the European Council’s conclusions in April and in the strategy we proposed … to shape the relationship between Turkey and the EU in the next period,” he said.

He said there is no official agenda for the meeting, but that it is expected that Russia’s war against Ukraine will be discussed in the presence of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the latest developments in Venezuela will also be discussed, and relations between the EU and Turkey would be discussed in the presence of Fidan.

Following the meeting, which was initially supposed to take place in the Hungarian capital Budapest but was moved to Brussels by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Moscow, Borrell will host a press conference to speak about what has been discussed.

Last week, Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the meeting would allow the government the opportunity to assess Turkey’s intentions with regard to the Cyprus problem.

He said the government is “preparing for all scenarios, where we hope Turkey will show a constructive stance.”

“In any case, all 27 foreign ministers of member states will be there, in the presence of Fidan as a visitor, and they will see for themselves and reach their own conclusions,” he added.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the north’s ‘foreign minister’ Tahsin Ertugruloglu insisted that Fidan’s attendance at the forthcoming meeting will not alter Turkey’s stance on the Cyprus problem.

Speaking to newspaper Kibris, he said, “as you know, neither Turkey nor the TRNC has made any changes in their stance on the Cyprus issue at this stage.”

He also expressed his relief that “the Greek Cypriot side may have been forced to give the green light to the invitation because the EU’s strategic interests are in favour of reviving dialogue and diplomatic channels.”

Letymbiotis had denied this two weeks ago, saying Cyprus was “in no way pressured” to acquiesce to Fidan’s invite.