The Cypriot government is satisfied with the results following the consultations it had on Saturday with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who paid a short visit to Cyprus.
In some statements he made to Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis expressed satisfaction with the results following Mike Pompeo’s visit. He added that the American official, during his talks with him and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, expressed the US commitment and interest in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region and the need for security and stability.
He also commented on the discussions on Turkey’s illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and its actions in the wider region. In this respect, the Cypriot Foreign Minister said that particular emphasis was placed on the need to resolve such issues either through dialogue or before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He said that we should always take the relevant 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea into account.
When he was asked to comment on Mike Pompeo’s statement according to which, during his talks with the Cypriot Government, he said the USA was concerned about “Russia’s money laundering activities and the regular visits of its vessels” to Cyprus.
Regarding Mike Pompeo’s statement on money laundering by Russia in Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis said that the Republic of Cyprus, as an EU member state and as other international organisations, was fully in line with the relevant international provisions on the matter, as it is shown by relevant reports that have been recently published.
Fantastic to see Cyprus President Anastasiades today in Nicosia. The Republic of Cyprus is a key partner in the Eastern Mediterranean and we are committed to deepening our bilateral relationship. pic.twitter.com/vPlO3JVVWZ
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 12, 2020