U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly stopped over in Cyprus on Sunday where a Cypriot proposal to establish a maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid from Cyprus with the final destination of Gaza, was discussed, Cypriot officials said.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in the Middle East, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a statement.
Their conversation at Larnaca airport included “a dedicated, one-way maritime corridor of sustained flow of humanitarian aid from Cyprus to civilians in Gaza”, Letymbiotis said.
Antony Blinken expressed thanks to Cyprus for the very important role it plays in the issue of the evacuation of nationals of various countries, including the USA.
During the meeting there was a discussion on unfolding developments in the Middle East, Cyprus’s proposal for a maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid from Cyprus with the final destination of Gaza, while the need for an immediate de-escalation of the ongoing crisis was stressed.
The Cyprus President Christodoulides also informed the US Secretary of State of the ongoing efforts made by the Republic of Cyprus to resume the negotiations on the Cyprus issue from where they had been interrupted, and to appoint an envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for this purpose.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos.
Earlier, Nikos Christodoulides had a telephone conversation with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, during which they discussed the developments in the region as they are taking shape. They held a detailed discussion in relation to the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus for the creation of a maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid from Cyprus and with the final destination of Gaza. Reference was also made to the excellent relations between the two countries, which can contribute to efforts to de-escalate the crisis and to stability in the region.
Last week, President of Cyprus responded to journalists’ questions about the proposal of the Republic of Cyprus to create a humanitarian sea corridor.
“I had a long telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Israel and tonight I will have with the President of France precisely to see how the proposal that we have developed can be implemented. We are discussing the details and I hope that soon we can proceed to the implementation stage,” Christodoulides told reporters.
Responding to a journalist’s question as to whether they are positive, the President of the Republic replied: “Of course, they are positive.”
Asked to comment on how it will work, whether the implementation of the proposal will be controlled, the President stated: “Of course it will be controlled, both from Cyprus where humanitarian aid will leave, but also where it will end up. We are discussing exactly all these details.”
