US reiterates support for Cyprus solution 

The United States will continue to support the agreed Security Council framework for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality and will continue to urge the parties to resume negotiations, US Ambassador Julie Fisher said on Tuesday after meeting House president Annita Demetriou.

The US absolutely has a key role in the resumption of the talks for a Cyprus settlement, Demetriou said while noting that a visit to the US is imminent, but has not yet been scheduled.

“We really had a wonderful opportunity to talk about issues of great importance between the United States and Cyprus, such a rich agenda, so many issues of global and strategic importance to issues that I know are important to everyday Cypriots and we’re trying to deliver some very concrete results for them,” Fisher said.

She added that a variety of issues were discussed, including visits by US Congress members and Cypriot MPs, as well as opportunities to bring Cypriots and Americans closer together by increasing travel between both.

Asked if she is optimistic as regards the resumption of negotiations, following the visit of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders to the Committee of Missing Persons (CMP) laboratory last Friday and the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Cyprus on Monday, she said that “for our part, the United States, we have urged a return to negotiations and we will continue to do that. We will continue to stand by the Security Council framework, that has been agreed for a Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation with political equality and we will continue to urge the parties to resume those negotiations.”

She further said that the leaders’ visit to the CMP was an important one. It required leadership, she said, on the part of the leaders of both communities.

“I would like to see more progress; I would like to see more evidence of cooperation between the two communities. I think it’s really important right now,” she concluded.

Demetriou said they discussed issues at a difficult political time, noting that US-Cyprus relations are probably at their best level.

Asked whether the US will have a decisive role in the resumption of the talks, she replied “absolutely” and added that common sense proves it and that is why through diplomacy “and where we can contribute as a parliament, through parliamentary diplomacy, we should make the necessary moves and that is what we are doing.”