Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides stepped into the Oval Office on Wednesday for a historic meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House, with the latter reportedly saying he remains optimistic over the prospect of a solution to the island republic’s long-standing division.
According to Cypriot media outlets, Biden was first quoted as saying that “…this year marks the 50th anniversary of the artificial division of the island. I remember it well, I was in my first year in the US Senate,” he said, while referring to Turkey’s invasion in July 1974 as a “sad day”.
The outgoing US president added that he remained optimistic over the prospect for a reunited island under a bizonal, bicommunal federation – the framework on which the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, which encompasses all of the Greek Cypriot community, insists.
On his part, the Cypriot leader said he counts on Biden and Washington’s support in efforts to rekindled talks with the Turkish Cypriot side.
US-Cyprus relations have been significantly upgraded over the past few years – much to the chagrin of official Turkey, the illegal occupying power of one-third of Cyprus’ territory – with repeated references to a strategic relationship by both Nicosia and Washington.
Christodoulides reportedly spoke of a “historic high” in bilateral ties, including on the sensitive sectors of defense and security, energy, law enforcement, technology and innovation.
The United States and the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member-state, signed a landmark defense cooperation agreement last month.
The high-level Cypriot delegation included several ministers, while a bilateral meeting will also be attended by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and White House Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The meeting comes 28 years after the last meeting of a Cyprus president at the White House to meet with a US president, as the late Glafcos Clerides was received by Bill Clinton in 1996.
