US Ambassador to Cyprus Ronald Schlicker has said that his country’s message to both Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat is that it supports the efforts that they have ownership of, under UN auspices, to reach an agreement on the reunification of the island in a way that’s acceptable to majorities on both sides of the island.
Schlicker who is leaving the island, after three years, said “it’s good that I am leaving at a moment of great hope for the process of reunification of the island. I just expressed that to President Christofias and wished him the very best,” he said.
He noted that he also told him that “I thought that our bilateral relationship, the relationship between Washington and Nicosia is in a very good place and that I am sure that my successor will be very-very eager to build on the progress that we’ve made in the last three years and that he will also be very-very eager to support the efforts of the President and Mr. Talat in reaching an agreement on reunification.”
Invited to say if the US is sending a facilitator on the island soon, Schlicker said “we haven’t made any decisions along those lines. We very much want to stay in touch with President Christofias and Mr. Talat and the UN to see how we can help. If at some point we can help by such an appointment we'll do that, if not we'll find other ways to help,” he added.
Replying to another question he said that he also had a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and that he may see him again before he leaves the island.
But certainly, he stressed, “to both gentlemen (President Christofias and Mr. Talat) we have the same message: We support the efforts that they have ownership of, under UN auspices, to reach an agreement on the reunification of the island in a way that’s acceptable to majorities on both sides of the island.”
The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, decided last week to start full-fledged negotiations on September 3rd, with a view to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.
