Anastasiades speaks to Biden

PRESIDENT Nicos Anastasiades had on Thursday evening a telephone conversation with US Vice President Joe Biden, following the latter’s meeting in Ankara with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides tweeted at 8.14pm:

“#Now: Telephone conversation of #Cyprus President @AnastasiadesCY and #US Vice President @VP, #CyprusProblem, #BideninTurkey”

According to Sigmalive, during the communication with Anastasiades, the US Vice President noted that he and the Turkish leader had discussed Cyprus, and specifically the issue of guarantees.

Biden is said to have also told Anastasiades that Turkey appears to acknowledge the benefits from a solution to the Cyprus problem and that Ankara is supportive of the current peace talks.

Speaking on Wednesday at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Biden said they would continue to talk to the two communities in Cyprus.

For his part Yildirim said Turkey acknowledged the US efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem over the years. Referring to the rejection of a UN blueprint by Greek Cypriots in 2004, he said an opportunity was lost but suggested that this time it should not be missed.

“The Turkish side was always in favour of a solution and it will also be in favour this time,” Yildirim said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.