The Cyprus-US relationship has ‘stability, consistency, and continuity’, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Monday after his meeting in Washington with his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio, noting that they had a ‘constructive’ discussion.
‘We covered a wide range of issues both bilateral and regional, such as Gaza and Syria,’ he said.
Regarding bilateral matters, Kombos said they discussed ‘the progress achieved in relation to the strategic dialogue, the possibility of conducting an interim progress review, as well as a specialised form of discussion at a technical and technocratic level concerning the Middle East.’
The issue of a 3+1 leaders’ meeting (Cyprus, Greece, Israel, United States) with Rubio’s participation on the American side, was also raised, along with energy cooperation, given the presence of U.S. companies in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone and more broadly, in Greece’s EEZ, he noted.
The two Ministers also discussed how the Republic of Cyprus could contribute to President Trump’s plan for Gaza. ‘Cyprus has proven that it can make a complementary contribution to the American effort, both in the humanitarian field and in reconstruction,’ said Kombos.
According to the Minister, the issue of Syria was also discussed namely, ‘how the stability of the system can be supported, as well as the shared interest in protecting minorities, particularly Christians in Syria.’
‘It was a highly productive discussion’ Kombos said, stressing that this relationship ‘has stability, consistency, and continuity.’
He noted that this was his second visit to the State Department within 17 months, noting that, in the meantime, the Cyprus President visited the White House, the strategic dialogue had been signed, and the Republic of Cyprus participated in the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting.
‘This relationship is of particular importance to us; it serves as a compass for our foreign policy, and both sides share the same approach on how to work more intensively to advance and deepen it further,’ Kombos stresses.
The Minister also said that the Cyprus question was raised during the discussion with the U.S. Secretary of State. He noted that Rubio knows the issue from his previous capacity while that the U.S. position regarding the basis of the solution, the need for progress, was reaffirmed, and, the issue of regional stability, which, he said was important to for the U.S. side, ‘since what happens in Cyprus affects broader American strategic planning’. ‘The conclusion of our discussion was encouraging, given that the U.S. is a Permanent Member of the Security Council,’ he added.
The U.S. side also expressed interest in Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, raising specific questions of concern. ‘They referred to issues relating to investment, defence, and the protection of major technology corporations headquartered in the United States, as well as to regulatory frameworks applied by the EU,’ he noted.
‘Cyprus, as a small country assuming the (EU) presidency, sees this as an opportunity to strengthen dialogue and discussion between the EU and the U.S., which at present is not as extensive as it could be. On our part, there is such a will. It is particularly significant that the American side also identifies areas of interest where U.S.- EU interests can converge, provided there is room for dialogue, negotiation, and discussion,’ Kombos concluded.