Blinken ‘welcomes’ idea of marine humanitarian corridor
US secretary of state Antony Blinken welcomes Nicosia’s idea for a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, President Nikos Christodoulides said following a meeting between the two.
On Sunday, Christodoulides had a brief meeting with Blinken aboard a US government aeroplane at Larnaca airport.
Speaking about his call for a humanitarian corridor to be created between Cyprus and Gaza, he said “it was important that the initiative … was discussed.”
He said Blinken “welcomes [my] approach, the approach of our country, taking into account the fact that we have excellent relations with all neighbouring countries.”
He added that Blinken “thanked us for our role in the evacuation of people from the region”.
“We also discussed the Cyprus problem in view of his visit to Turkey, as well as our bilateral relations. I consider his analysis particularly important in relation to how the situation is developing in the region, after the contacts he has had so far,” he said.
He added, “we agreed to stay in touch.”
Additionally, he said on the humanitarian corridor that “there is a specific plan, a copy of which … I have shared with [Blinken], as I have also shared it with others, including France.”
He added that France “has shown a particular interest” in the plan, and that he will be present at the summit regarding Gaza which will take place in Paris this week.
On the Cyprus problem, he said he discussed “the need to resume the talks from where they left off [at Crans Montana in 2017], but also specifically the issue of the … appointment of an envoy.
“So far, it appears there is a refusal on the part of Turkey, although I told [Blinken], he knew it himself, that the effort of the United Nations continues,” he added.