MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Russia calls for finding a fair solution to the Cyprus issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin said opening talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday.

"We will discuss a whole range of our relations and certainly, the international issues, the domestic settlement of the Cyprus problem," the Russian leader said. "You know that Russia has always called for a fair settlement."

Putin noted that the meetings with the Cypriot president are always substantial and constructive. There is no doubt about this taking into account that the two countries have been developing relations for a long time, he said. The Soviet Union was the first country to recognize the independence of Cyprus.

The current bilateral relations are developing "rather positively," Putin said.

Anastasiades noted that despite good bilateral relations, there are the opportunities for further broadening cooperation. "The Cypriot problem, the relations between the European Union and Russia, regional and bilateral issues - we should discuss all this," he said, thanking Russia for its support for Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided into two parts since 1974 after Turkey’s invasion of the northern part of the island that followed a state coup staged by supporters of Cyprus’ unification with Greece. As a result of combat operations, Turkey won control of about 37% of the island’s territory.