Cypriot FM begins working visit to the US

Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos kicks off a working visit to the US on Monday with his participation in a closed round table discussion at the “Council on Foreign Relations” think tank. He will then deliver a speech at the AJC Global Forum conference.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kombos who will visit Washington, New York and Chicago is also set to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UN Under-Secretary-General for peace operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The Foreign Minister’s contacts in the American capital begin today with his participation in a closed round table discussion at the “Council on Foreign Relations” think tank. He will then deliver a speech at the AJC Global Forum conference.

Kombos will participate in the PSEKA Conference between 11 and 13 June, as a keynote speaker.

On the sidelines of PSEKA’s deliberations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will inaugurate a photographic exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation with photographs from the archive of the Press and Information Office.

Kombos will also hold meetings with leading members of the Senate and Congress as well as other officials.

On Friday, June 14, the Minister will be in New York, where he will be the main speaker at an event held at the headquarters of the United Nations to mark the 60th anniversary of UNFICYP’s presence in Cyprus. At the event, the photographic exhibition “60 Years of UNFICYP” of the Press and Information Office will also be presented.

The Minister will have a meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and will attend a working lunch with permanent members of UN Security Council.

He will speak at an event held at the UN headquarters for the candidacy of Cyprus to the Human Rights Council, for 2025-2027.

Kombos will then travel to Chicago where on Saturday, June 15, he will be the keynote speaker at an event organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs think tank.

The Minister’s visit to the US concludes on Monday, June 17, with a meeting with his counterpart Blinken at the US State Department and will discuss ways to further deepen bilateral ties, the Cyprus issue and developments in the Middle East. He will also have a meeting with US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer.

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.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colοmbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.