The US continues to support a comprehensive settlement to reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which would benefit all Cypriots as well as the wider region, a State Department Spokesperson has said.
He was commenting on the results of the meeting between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci that took place in Berlin on November 25.
The UN Secretary-General said in a statement after the meeting that he committed to explore with Anastasiades, Akinci and the guarantor powers the possibility to convene an informal five party meeting on Cyprus “at an appropriate stage”, following an informal dinner in Berlin attended by both leaders.
Guterres also noted that the leaders of Cyprus affirmed their commitment to the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014, the prior convergences, and the six point framework he presented on 30 June 2017 “with a view to achieve a strategic agreement paving the way forward for a comprehensive settlement.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
(Cyprus News Agency)
