Settlement talks, bilateral and regional issues are expected to dominate discussions during the visit here of Amanda Sloat, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, that commenced on Wednesday.
According to an announcement by the US Embassy, in Nicosia, the US official, responsible for relations with Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, at the Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, will be staying in the island until January 23, and will meet with Republic of Cyprus officials on bilateral and regional issues, “including our mutual interest in promoting prosperity and stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.
It is added that she will discuss with leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities the ongoing efforts to advance the Cyprus peace process and reiterate US support for UN-facilitated negotiations to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
She will also meet with representatives of business and civil society organizations, and alumni of US-sponsored exchange programs, the announcement concludes.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus’ northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, in spite of numerous calls by the EU to do so and normalise relations with Nicosia.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades suspended his participation in the UN-led peace talks following a Navigational Telex or NAVTEX, issued by Turkey in October last year, as Turkish seismic research vessel “Barbaros” violated the Republic’s exclusive economic zone.
Repeated calls for the withdrawal of “Barbaros” went unheeded by Ankara, which announced recently the NAVTEX`s extension until April 6, 2015.