The latest developments on the Cyprus issue, in view of the deliberations at the UNSC that will adopt in July a resolution for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) July, were discussed during two separate meetings that Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides held, in New York, with the US and the Russian Permanent Representatives to the UN, Samantha Power and Vitaly Churkin, respectively.
Kasoulides also held, in the framework of the campaign to promote the candidacy of Cyprus and Ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis for the presidency of the 71st UN General Assembly, a series of bilateral meetings and hosted dinner for Permanent Representatives to the UN, including those of Bahrein, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Tunisia. The Cypriot Foreign Minister will hold later on Wednesday a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Kasoulides, accompanied by Cyprus` Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Nicholas Emiliou, and the Director of his office Koulla Sophianou, was also received by Archbishop of America, Demetrios.
In statements after the meeting, Kasoulides said that that the Archbishop is a very good friend and supporter of Cyprus especially during hard times. He also highlighted the contribution of the Greek Orthodox Church in the US, describing it as important and effective.
The Archbishop said that they had a good meeting, during which they discussed various issues, focusing on Cyprus. “We have excellent, substantive and very warm ties with Cyprus and we feel that we bear great responsibility, because we deeply wish to see a solution to the Cyprus problem,” he said.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. UN-led talks between the leaders of the two communities, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, began in May last year, with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.
