U.S. President says he is not giving up on divided Cyprus

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he is not giving up on Cyprus which is divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey.

He referred to the protracted Cyprus problem while addressing some 100 prominent Greek and Cypriot Americans during a digital conference to mark Greece’s National Day on Thursday.

“My good friend (the late) Senator Paul Sarbanes got me involved years ago, when we were trying to find ways to solve the Cyprus problem. I’m not giving up yet,” Biden said.

Biden also referred to a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier on Thursday, during which he conveyed his hope for stability in the eastern Mediterranean.

In the call, Biden conveyed his appreciation to Mitsotakis “for our growing defense cooperation,” including through the Souda Naval

Biden and Mitsotakis also “agreed to coordinate on issues of shared interest, including energy security, China, Russia, and the Western Balkans.