Kyprioanou ‘satisfied’ with 30 minute meeting with Clinton

FOREIGN Minister Marcos Kyprianou was yesterday said to be “satisfied” with his meeting with his US counterpart, Hillary Clinton.

During the half-hour meeting in Prague, where the duo attended the EU-US Summit, the US Secretary of State assured Kyprianou that efforts to reach a Cyprus solution had the full support of America.

Kyprianou said: “We talked mainly about the Cyprus problem. The US expressed support to the ongoing [negotiations] process, and to the aim of a bizonal, bicommunal federation in Cyprus.”

The Foreign Minister briefed Clinton on the latest developments in the direct talks, the difficulties of the process, and the expectation from Turkey, which “has a crucial role to play”.

The pair agreed to find a date for a new meeting in Washington, to continue the discussion, an official announcement said. Whether this will secure Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat a much-coveted meeting with Clinton was yesterday unclear.

Last month much fuss was made about a possible meeting between Talat and Clinton. The meeting, said to be prompted by Turkey and provoking strong Greek Cypriot condemnation, was thought to help boost Talat’s popularity ahead of parliamentary elections in the north. The Turkish Cypriot leader’s party is said to be trailing in the polls, which could potentially have a detrimental effect in the negotiation process.

Kyprianou added: “We found out that there are many other basic issues to discuss, like the bilateral relations between the US and Cyprus and issues that Cyprus can play a positive role as an EU member state, such as the Middle East problem.”

The Foreign Minister said he and Clinton had also had the opportunity to refer to the Greek and Greek Cypriot community living in the US.

An important link between Cyprus and the US, the community is hoping for closer relations and co-operation between the Cyprus and US governments, said Kyprianou.

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.