Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides concludes on Tuesday his visit to Washington with the meetings he will have with the White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, that will most probably be attended by US army lieutenant general, National Security Adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster as well, and ExxonMobil officials.

Christodoulides will discuss with Priebus about the Cyprus problem, the further deepening of the US-Cyprus bilateral relations and energy issues.

Developments in the energy sector with a focus on the activities of US companies in Cyprus` EEZ as well as regional cooperation, were discussed during a meeting Christodoulides had on Monday with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy Robin Dunnigan, who showed great interest in the signing of contracts with the companies that have been selected in the third round for blocks 6, 8 , 10 and 11 in Cyprus` EEZ.

Christodoulides also met with the Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe John Heffern and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Jonathan Cohen, with whom he discussed about the Cyprus problem, bilateral issues and EU matters.

Furthermore, the Government Spokesman spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. He elaborated on the relations between Cyprus and Israel and the role of the two countries` cooperation in the region. He noted that there is a long-standing cooperation between Cyprus and Israel at all levels and in various fields as security, defence and energy.

Furthermore he referred to the trilateral cooperation which Cyprus and Greece have been promoting with countries of the region, including Israel, and noted the positive role which Cyprus plays as regards the relations between Israel and the EU.

Christodoulides said it is important that the US administration is particularly interested in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN-led talks between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities resumed in May 2015, with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

The talks were interrupted in mid-February by the Turkish Cypriot side, which demands that a decision passed by the Cypriot Parliament relating to a 1950 referendum on union with Greece is revoked, claiming this indicates a shift in the Greek Cypriot side`s goal for a federal solution. The amendment provides that there will be a very brief reference one a year to the referendum at schools.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has described the House decision as wrong and called on the leader of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, who walked out of the talks, to return to the negotiating table to discuss pending issues with a view to reach a mutually acceptable agreement to reunite the country.