US committed to a Cyprus settlement

The United States is committed to a comprehensive settlement and believes “strongly” that the ongoing peace talks need to be a Cypriot-led process, a senior US official said yesterday.

Tina Kaidanow, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, was speaking to newsmen at the Presidential Palace coming out of a one-hour meeting with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias.

“I am here mainly just to talk to everyone to again see where things stand in the discussions”, the US official noted.

Kaidanow reiterated the US government’s interest in a solution to the island’s 36-year-long division.

“I said again what we have said many times, which is that we believe very strongly that this needs to be a Cypriot-led process and that this process should end, we hope, in the reunification of the island under a bizonal, bicommunal federation”, she said.

“We will invest as much energy and help as the sides need in order to get to that goal,” she added.

Kaidanow said also that she conveyed to President Christofias the congratulations of her government of US President Barack Obama personally on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Cyprus’ independence.