President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday said he will discuss the matter of the five Greek Cypriots whom he said are being held as “hostages” in the north with the Council of Europe’s secretary-general Alain Berset.

Berset arrived in Cyprus on Monday and met Christodoulides at the presidential palace, with Christodoulides telling him upon his arrival that Cyprus “attaches enormous importance to the Council of Europe” and stressed “the importance of implementing the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights”.

Christodoulides said he and Berset will also discuss other aspects of the Cyprus problem, including missing persons and property, as well as wider issues which affect other parts of Europe and the world.

These issues, he said, include Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the situation in the Middle East.

Berset said that the “rule of law must prevail” in Europe and that “human rights must be protected”.

The pair then travelled to Nicosia’s city hall, which is located in the capital’s old town, before taking in the view of the city from the building’s roof.

There, Berset said his visit constitutes “a powerful reminder of the importance of dialogue, reconciliation and peace”.

He added that the Council of Europe “supports all those who work to overcome division and to build bridges of understanding, tolerance, and coexistence.

“I extend my warm thanks to President Christodoulides for his commitment to these values,” he said.

After that, both were due to attend an official lunch at the presidential palace.

The five Greek Cypriots were arrested on July 19 and have remained in custody in the north since then. They currently face two separate trials.

One of those trials is at a military court, where the police and the prosecution allege that when the five crossed in one car from the British Dhekelia base through the Strovilia crossing point, near Famagusta, only four identity cards were handed over for inspection on the Turkish Cypriot side of the crossing point.

As such, one of the five Greek Cypriots has been charged with illegally entering the north, while the other four are accused of aiding and abetting the illegal entry. Their next hearing at the military court will be held on Wednesday

They also face charges of privacy violations, trespassing, and breaching the peace at a civilian court in Trikomo. The next hearing of that case has been set for Friday.

The five Greek Cypriots deny all charges.