Putin said during his talks with Tassos Papadopoulos that Russia and Cyrus had reached an agreement easing visa regulations, which were imposed after the republic joined the European Union in 2004, for diplomats and other categories of travelers, but called for further work to be conducted in this area.
"I think we need to continue negotiations on the basis of results we have already reached in order to attain a broader visa-free regime," Putin said.
The president said he was confident that Cyprus was interested in further easing of visa regulations given that the island was a highly popular destination for Russian holidaymakers.
Papadopoulos echoed the Russian leader's position and said that his country was ready to work further toward lifting regulations.
"We are making every effort to ease visa regulations," he said, adding that less than 1% of applicants had been denied Cypriot visas.
Putin also said Russia would play a proactive role in efforts to solve the problem of Cyprus's divided territory.
"Russia will continue seeking an acceptable solution [to the Cypriot problem] within the framework of UN institutions," he said.
Cyprus was divided into Greek and Turkish parts in 1974 and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed in 1983. The UN plan to resolve the conflict was a failure as the sides reached no agreement by the March 2003 deadline.
