Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, received on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the new US Ambassador to Cyprus, Julie D. Fisher.
According to a press release issued by the Presidency, during a meeting they had, President Anastasiades and Ambassador Fisher exchanged views on the excellent level of bilateral relations between Cyprus and the US, mainly in the fields of security and defence, as well as energy, which give a new impetus to the bilateral cooperation of the two countries.
They also reviewed the current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the close cooperation of the US and the Republic of Cyprus to achieve conditions of peace and stability in the broader region.
President Anastasiades thanked the US Ambassador for the long-standing support of the US to efforts for a Cyprus settlement, based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation, within the framework of the UNSC relevant resolutions and the international law, despite the Turkish insistence to promote a two-state solution in Cyprus.
Anastasiades expressed his particular appreciation for the supportive position which the US maintain, both as regards the illegal Turkish actions within the Cypriot EEZ, recognizing the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus to develop its natural resources within its maritime zones, according to the international law and particularly UNCLOS, and Ankara’s efforts to impose new faits accomplis in the fenced off city of Famagusta (Varosha).
President Anastasiades and Ambassador Fisher also discussed the latest developments as regards the ongoing war in Ukraine, in light of the meeting of the US President Joe Biden in Kiev on Monday, expressing their unwavering support to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the belief that diplomatic efforts aiming to end hostilities – one year after the Russian invasion – should be intensified.
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.
Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.
Source: Cyprus News Agency