Oct. 30 (UPI) — President Joe Biden met with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday at the White House, where the two leaders discussed support for Ukraine and humanitarian assistance in Gaza, as Christodoulides called for renewed negotiations to reunite Cyprus.
“It was 10 years ago when I visited Cyprus last as vice president of the United States and there is no limit to what our nations can achieve if we work together,” Biden told Christodoulides in brief remarks before Wednesday’s closed-door meeting in the Oval Office.
“We stood against Russia’s vicious onslaught against Ukraine, we launched a dialogue to increase cooperation across a range of issues from energy security to artificial intelligence and we served humanitarian aid, delivering 8-thousand metric tons to Gaza,” Biden added, as he thanked Christodoulides for his “leadership in making that happen.”
Biden also referenced the 50th anniversary of the “artificial division of the island. I remember it well. It was my first year as a U.S. senator,” he said.
“I remain optimistic about the possibility that a reunited Cyprus, a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation is possible and the United States stands ready to provide any support we can toward that goal,” Biden continued.
Christodoulides thanked Biden and commented on their countries’ “truly strategic partnership.”
“Cyprus is a predictable and reliable partner of the United States in a region of great geopolitical importance,” Christodoulides said. Cyprus is the closest European Union nation to Gaza, where Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas is impacting the region.
While the two leaders spent much of their meeting focused on Gaza, Christodoulides also called for renewed negotiations for political equality in Cyprus.
“Having in mind that my country is under Turkish occupation the last 50 years, Mr. President I count on your support and the support of the United States to resume negotiations and find a solution of the Cyprus problem in line with the U.N. Security Council resolution,” said Christodoulides, “a solution that is based on our common values and principles, democracy and respect for human rights.”