US committed to deeper Cyprus ties
The United States remain firmly in support of a federal Cyprus and will continue to work for deeper bilateral ties, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides in Washington.
Blinken said: “Our Bilateral relationship is stronger than it’s ever been.”
Kasoulides said their meeting explored areas where they could make the relationship “even stronger and even deeper”. Following the meeting, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said Blinken reiterated the US commitment to deepening cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, including through the 3+1 mechanism with Greece and Israel.
“The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the importance of coordinating actions in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“They also underscored the importance of increasing scientific collaboration on issues such as climate change and emerging technology through the upcoming signing of a bilateral Science and Technology Agreement,” Price said.
He also said that Secretary Blinken expressed continued US support to Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated efforts to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality to benefit all Cypriots.
In statements before the meeting, Blinken said: “I think the bilateral relationship is stronger than it’s ever been.
“We’re seeing cooperation in a whole variety of areas, to include security but also to include science and technology. It really runs the gamut.”
On efforts for a Cyprus settlement, he said: “We remain resolutely in support of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, and we will continue to work in that direction.
“And I have to say we were pleased by the renewal of the mandate at the United Nations just a week ago.”
Kasoulides conveyed President Nicos Anastasiades’ proposal on the fenced-off Turkish occupied Varosha.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha.
Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.