Pompeo visit will push for Cyprus reunification

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will put Washington’s weight behind UN-facilitated Cypriot-led efforts to reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation during his landmark visit on January 7.

The State Department announced that Pompeo will travel to Kyiv, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus; Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Nicosia from January 3-7.

Cyprus will be the last country the US Secretary of State will visit on January 7.

According to the State Department, Pompeo will meet with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides “to reaffirm the robust US-Republic of Cyprus relationship.”

While in Nicosia, “the Secretary will also meet with Turkish Cypriot Leader Akinci.”

“The Secretary will reaffirm to leaders of both communities continued U.S. support for UN-facilitated Cypriot-led efforts to reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation in line with UN Security Council Resolutions,” it said.

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 last round of negotiations, in July 2017, collapsed at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana.

After meeting Cypriot leaders in Berlin on November 25, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “agreed to extend my efforts to achieve terms of reference to serve as a consensus starting point for phased, meaningful, and results-oriented negotiations at the earliest feasible opportunity.”

That opportunity is expected to materialise until after Turkish Cypriot elections in April 2020.