The American Vice President`s visit to Cyprus aims to further cultivate bilateral relations and the role that the Republic of Cyprus as an energy and financial hub in the region, a statement by the Presidency of the Republic says.
The Presidency also said that the government has Washington’s assurances that in order to avoid any attempt to exploit the meeting between Joe Biden and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu, this will take place at a building adjoining Eroglu’s office.
According to the statement, the Presidency stressed that it has been informed that during the visit by US Vice President, Joe Biden, to Cyprus the program includes a meeting with Dervis Eroglu in his capacity as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community.
“At the same time, we have the assurances of the American Government that in order to avoid any attempt to exploit the meeting for other purposes, the Vice President will meet Mr Eroglu not in his usual office but in an adjoining building, without any symbols whatsoever”.
As it very clearly follows also from the briefing to reporters by a spokesman of the White House, yesterday, the statement points out, “the visit by the American Vice President to the Republic of Cyprus, a strong strategic partner of the USA, as it was characteristically mentioned, aims to further cultivate our bilateral relations and the role that the Republic of Cyprus, following also the discovery of hydrocarbons within its Exclusive Economic Zone, as an energy and financial hub in the region, the Presidency pointed out”.
At the same time, in the context of Mr Biden’s visit the Cyprus problem will also be discussed, in view also of the enhanced interest shown by the USA lately in the efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem, it adds.
Therefore, the meeting of the American Vice President with Dervis Eroglu falls within the role that the USA wish to play, as a Permanent Member of the Security Council, in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979, the statement concludes.
US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Cyprus from 21-23. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and since then occupies its northern third. UN-backed talks are underway with the aim to reunite the island under a federal roof.