According to an official statement release from the White House, President Obama welcomed the joint declaration of the Greek President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and the resumption of peace talks on Tuesday, February 11. “The Joint Declaration reflects a spirit of compromise and sets a solid foundation for effective negotiations” said the statement.
The two leaders issued a joint declaration that indicates how the talks should move forward. It recommends recognizing the equal status of the two states, while aiming toward the creation of a federated government to bring Cypriot and Turkish communities closer.
The U.S. congratulated the two sides for their courage and insight, praising the constructive role of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Prime Minister of Greece Antonis Samaras in bringing the parties to the negotiating table.
The White House stated that the U.S. would encourage all parties involved to explore initiatives that will strengthen the negotiations in order to reach a solution. Furthermore, the White House reaffirmed its support to the right of the Republic of Cyprus to exploit its sources of wealth and noted that the profits of the oil and natural gas in the country should be equally distributed to the two communities within the framework of a wider settlement. Finally, the U.S. asked the two sides to avoid threats or other actions or statements that would escalate tension on the island.
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