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The United States remains firmly in support of a bizonal solution, bi-communal federation in Cyprus and will continue to work toward that end, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Tuesday, welcoming his Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides, to Washington, D.C.
In statements before their meeting, Mr. Blinken also underlined that "our bilateral relationship is stronger than ever", with Mr. Kasoulides responded that he intends to use their meeting to explore areas where they can make the relationship even stronger.
State Department Spokesman Ned Price said after the meeting that Mr. Blinken congratulated Mr. Mr. Blinken congratulated Mr. Kasoulides on his return to the State Department and reiterated the U.S. commitment to deepening cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, including through the 3+1 mechanism with Greece and Israel.
Blinken and Kasoulides "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 stressed the importance of increasing scientific cooperation on issues such as climate change and emerging technology through the imminent signing of a bilateral Science and Technology Agreement."
Blinken expressed continued US support for Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated efforts to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality for the benefit of all Cypriots.
In remarks before the meeting, Mr. Blinken, welcoming Mr. Kasoulides to the State Department, referred to "familiar territory" for the Cypriot Foreign Minister. "The Secretary of State has recently taken over, but for the third time," he said, expressing satisfaction with the relationship between the U.S. and Cyprus.
"I think the bilateral relationship is stronger than ever. We see cooperation in a whole range of areas, including security but also science and technology. It really runs the gamut," Blinken noted.
[/P]Referring to efforts to settle the Cyprus problem, the US Secretary of State said that "we remain resolutely committed to supporting a bizonal, bicommunal federation and we will continue to work in that direction."
[/P]Referring to efforts to settle the Cyprus problem, the US Secretary of State said that "we remain resolutely committed to supporting a bizonal, bicommunal federation and we will continue to work in that direction. And I have to say that we were pleased with the renewal of the mandate at the United Nations just a week ago."
He stressed that they had a lot to talk about, which he said "reflects the fact that on so many different levels this relationship has become broader but also deeper."
For his part, Kasoulides said it is his intention to use this meeting to identify and explore areas where they can make this relationship even stronger and even deeper.
Source: CNA
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