The Republic of Cyprus is a valued partner of the United States, said State Secretary Marco Rubio in a written statement on Wednesday, where he congratulated the people of Cyprus for the 65th anniversary of the Republic's independence.
The State Secretary also underlined that the US is committed to a Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated comprehensive settlement "to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots."
Securing safety of US citizens
He noted that the bilateral collaboration "increases commercial trade, combats illicit financial flows, and strengthens regional security allowing citizens of both our nations to prosper."
"We are especially grateful for the Republic of Cyprus’s assistance in securing the safety of U.S. citizens in crisis zones, one of our highest priorities," Rubio said.
"We are also committed to a Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated comprehensive settlement to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots," he concluded.
The UNSG met with the two leaders President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, last week in New York city. A fresh informal meeting in an extended format on Cyprus will probably take place in November, following two such meetings that took place earlier this year in Geneva and New York. In the meantime his personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin is expected in Cyprus the next weeks to prepare for the upcoming meeting.