11 March 2017, 16:24 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Vice President Mike Pence told Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci that the United States supports the resumption of UN peace talks on the divided island, the White House said in a press release on Wednesday.
"The vice president underscored US support for the resumption of UN-facilitated talks in Switzerland and expressed hope that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders will agree to a settlement that would reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation to the benefit of all Cypriots," the release stated.
The peace talks are set to resume in Geneva on June 28, the United Nations announced earlier this month.
Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied the northern part of the island in response to a Greek-inspired coup and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Pence also voiced US support for the resumption of the peace talks during his conversation with Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades on June 9.
