Joe Biden: "My friends calls me Joe Bidenopoulos"

Biden discussed new efforts for a "win-win breakthrough" concerning Cyprus, Israel, and Turkey, and the establishment of a gas pipeline from the Levant to Europe.

The Vice President stated, "As a matter a fact my friends call me Joe Bidenopoulos. You know where I come from. It's not a joke. I am passionately engaged ever since the illegal occupation", while referencing his collaborations with the Greek-American community.

Biden spoke of his recent travels to the island last May, "Turkey fully understands that it is no longer in its interests... they have no interest to have troops remaining on Cyprus. None, whatsoever".

Concerning Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the U.S. leader commented, "I recently met with him and he has committed to seeing me in Ankara to see if we can do two things, one, reach a solution which he says he will agree to a 'bi-zonal, bi-communal' island and [two], he is beginning to realise, in my view, and I will not speak for him, that there is an overwhelming self-interest for Turkey in taking advantage of the significant resources, particularly gas, that are in the Eastern Mediterranean that could play a significant role in liberating not only Turkey, but, Greece... a pipeline... from Russia's use of energy as a weapon".

Biden further claimed, "Because the irony is... just as the one thing that will keep the Kurds in Iraq which is oil... is the very thing that may be the lubricant to bring an end to a very unfair circumstances that exist since the late 1970s". He called for all associated parties, "to not dwell on the past" and to "look at the opportunities presented...see if there was a 'win-win' situation for everybody".

The U.S. Vice President backed up his statements by saying, "And the reason I can say that is because I am Irish. And we understand about occupation. As George Mitchell said, the Irish Accord was 700 days of failure and one day of success".