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US State Secretary Antony Blinken has pledged support for a federal solution in Cyprus, urging both sides to be open to compromise while also warning over Russian and Chinese influence in the region.
Blinken, who had a phone conversation on Tuesday with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, wrote on Twitter it was “great to speak with Christodoulides about our strong bilateral relationship and our commitment to stability and prosperity in the region.”
The US official reiterated American commitment to stability and prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean, saying his country supports a Cypriot-led, comprehensive settlement to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation to benefit all Cypriots.
According to a written statement attributed to state department spokesperson Ned Price, the two officials agreed on the importance of promoting stability in the region “through regional cooperation and peaceful resolution of disagreements.”
Last month Blinken took jabs at his Russian and Chinese counterparts during a UN Security Council meeting, accusing them of contributing to disorder around the world
The statement also said the United States “encourages both sides to demonstrate the necessary openness, flexibility, and compromise to find common ground to restart Cyprus settlement talks.”
Blinken also expressed to Christodoulides American support for a “3+1 diplomatic mechanism,” which included the Republic of Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the United States.
The Secretary also addressed issues pertaining to Moscow and Beijing, according to the statement, saying Blinken “stressed the importance of efforts to counter harmful influence from Russia and China in the region.”
Christodoulides, who also took to Twitter following the phone call, described the conversation as “cordial and positive.”
“Prospects for strong and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation” between the Cyprus and the United States are excellent, the Cypriot minister said, adding that the relationship could be beneficial to the broader region.
Christodoulides also said he was grateful to the States for their “steadfast position” on the Cyprus Problem.
Last month Blinken took jabs at his Russian and Chinese counterparts during a UN Security Council meeting, accusing them of contributing to disorder around the world.
Blinken is currently on a trip to Costa Rica where he was scheduled to engage with senior leaders from Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
The state secretary has also warned leaders of Pacific countries about “threats to the rules-based international order” and cautioned them about economic coercion, in what foreign media described as “a veiled swipe at China’s growing influence in the region.”
