With President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of the Republic of Cyprus on their 50th Independence Day this October 1.

Cyprus has been a crossroads between east and west, and for people and cultures dating back thousands of years. The United States values the long-standing friendship between our countries. Throughout 50 years of bilateral relations, we have built a strong partnership, and we look forward to working together to expand our relationship in the future.

As we recognize this important milestone, we also reiterate our resolute support for the ongoing negotiations to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We commend efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement.

I wish all the people of the Republic of Cyprus a safe and happy celebration as you mark this historic Independence Day.