Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Russian President Vladimir Putin met late on Thursday in Milan, Italy, on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit.

The meeting was described as an “extensive discussion” by Cyprus government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides.

“The discussion between the two leaders during the dinner concerned the entire range of bilateral relations, EU-Russia relations, as well as the current phase of the Cyprus problem with emphasis on the latest developments as these were shaped as a result of the Turkish NAVTEX with regard to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus,” said Christodoulides in a statement.

“President Putin reaffirmed the Russian position of principle with regard to both the solution of the Cyprus problem and the inalienable right of the Republic of Cyprus to exploit its natural resources within its EEZ, describing any violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus as unacceptable.”

Anastasiades and Putin agreed to meet again, depending on developments, the statement said.