US President, Joe Biden, has assured his Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades, that his country supports a Cyprus settlement, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and that the US administration will continue to encourage a constructive participation of the Turkish side to the next round of talks under the UN auspices.

In a letter he sent to Anastasiades, Biden also expressed concern over the unilateral decision of the Turkish Cypriots, with the support of Turkey, to open part of Varosha in October 2020, noting that the US will continue to call for the decision of the Turkish side to be reversed and will discourage further provocative actions.

Government Spokesman, Kyriacos Koushos, said on Thursday that President Anastasiades received on Wednesday evening a letter from Biden, who assures that the US will continue to consider the Republic of Cyprus an important partner for regional stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean and of his commitment to work with a view to further deepen the strong ties between US and Cyprus.

Moreover, Koushos said, Biden thanks the President about the leadership, the friendship and the important role which the Republic of Cyprus plays in addressing global challenges and notes that he looks forward to work with the President to address issues of common interest in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Furthermore, the US President expresses his appreciation for the fact that the President informed him with his letter on May 14 about the informal meeting in Geneva and expresses the clear position about the reunification of Cyprus, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, according to the UN Security Council resolutions.

He also welcomes efforts made by the UN Secretary General, to find common ground for the resumption of the negotiations, Koushos says.

According to Koushos the US President also makes a very important reference on the issue of Famagusta, noting that the US is concerned over the unilateral decision of the Turkish Cypriots, with the support of Turkey, to open part of Varosha in October 2020.

Biden says that the US has called and will continue to call for the decision of the Turkish side to be reversed and will discourage, as he underlines, further provocative actions.

The US President also notes that his government will continue to encourage a constructive participation of the Turkish side to the next round of talks under the UN auspices, Koushos said.

President Biden expresses his will to continue soon his discussions with President Anastasiades on the various issues of common interest.

In his letter, Biden recalls his visit to Cyprus in 2014 with his spouse Jill, when he was US Vice President. I believe that our discussions during my terms in office as Vice President constitute a strong foundation for our continuing cooperation. I assure you of my personal commitment to renew and further enhance our strong ties, he notes. 

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 5+1 Informal Meeting that took place in Geneva, on April 27-29, has failed to find enough common ground to allow for the resumption of formal negotiations in relation to the settlement of the Cyprus problem.

UN Secretary – General, Antonio Guterres, has said that he will convene in the near future another meeting of the 5+1, the five plus the United Nations, again with the objective to move in the direction of reaching common ground to allow for formal negotiations to start. 

Varosha is the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, often described as ‘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.