US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell will visit Cyprus, as part of a tour that includes Pristina, Skopje, Belgrade and Athens this week.

A State Department statement said that Mitchell, in Nicosia on March 16, will meet with “senior Republic of Cyprus officials to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the development of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

He will meet with “Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders”, as well as with representatives of the United Nations, the press release notes.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mustafa Akinci have been engaged in UN-led peace talks to reunite the island, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The latest round of negotiations, in July last year, ended inconclusively.

The US official will also visit Pristina on March 12 to meet with senior Kosovo officials, including President Thaci, Prime Minister Haradinaj, and other political and civil society representatives to reaffirm the close ties between Kosovo and the United States.

In Skopje on March 13, he will meet with Prime Minister Zaev and Foreign Minister Dimitrov to reaffirm U.S. support for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, offer support for Macedonia’s on-going negotiations with Greece, and urge the government to implement reforms to enhance democratic governance, the rule of law, and a free media.

In Belgrade on March 14, he will meet with senior Serbian officials, including President Vucic and Prime Minister Brnabic, and opposition leaders. He will reaffirm the strong relationship between Serbia and the United States, and urge the Serbian government to push forward to normalize relations with Kosovo, make the reforms needed to attain its goal of European Union membership, and actively support regional stability.

In Athens on March 15, Assistant Secretary Mitchell will meet with senior Greek officials to discuss deepening U.S.-Greek strategic ties and strengthening bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of defense, energy, trade, and investment.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Numerous UN-backed negotiations, aiming at reuniting the island under a federal roof, have failed to yield results.