Bloomberg: Biden Visits Cyprus as Natural-Gas Find Fuels Reunification Push

Vice President Joe Biden will today become the most senior U.S. official in more than half a century to visit Cyprus as the search for alternative gas-supply routes into Europe draws international attention to the divided island.

After arriving in Nicosia late today, Biden will tomorrow meet Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to discuss issues including energy and regional security, a senior U.S. administration spokesman told reporters in a conference call before the trip. He will also meet Dervish Eroglu, leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state, the official said.

The Ukraine crisis has left European nations seeking to reduce their reliance on Russian energy. In Cyprus, where natural gas deposits have been found offshore, leaders are trying to leverage the attention to generate momentum in negotiations to reunite the island 40 years after Turkey’s invasion.
MORE