WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2020) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed concerns to President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades over the port calls by Russian ships heading to Syria.
"Security cooperation matters all the more as we see nations which don't share our values trying to obtain new footholds in the region. To that end, I raised the United States concern over Russia's money-laundering activities and its regular port calls here. We know that all the Russian military vessels that stop in Cypriot ports are not conducting humanitarian missions in Syria, and we asked to consider - we asked Cyprus and the president to consider our concern," Pompeo said at a Saturday joint press conference with Anastasiades.
Pompeo was on a visit to Cyprus to discuss recent tensions in the Mediterranean.
"Countries in the region need to resolve disagreements - including on security and energy, resource and maritime issues - diplomatically and peacefully. Increased military tensions help no one but adversaries who would like to see division in transatlantic unity," Pompeo said.
Meanwhile Syria has repeatedly stressed that the presence of US troops in Syria, with no legal basis, violates Syria's sovereignty and international regulations. According to Damascus, US troops are concentrated around oil and gas fields.
Russia continues to play an active role in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of war-torn Syria amid the ongoing conflict in the country.
