Christodoulides: “US Is Our Most Important Partner in Defence and Security”

According to Fileleftheros, Christodoulides made the remarks in an interview with US-based Breitbart News in New York, where he travelled to attend the United Nations General Assembly. He said there were no limits to further developing bilateral relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States.

According to the report, Christodoulides discussed Cyprus-US relations, the Cyprus problem, cooperation in the fields of energy, defence and security, as well as developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The interview was published on Sunday and was subsequently shared by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.

Speaking about Trump, Christodoulides said that people who know their positions can sit down with him, discuss the most difficult issues and find solutions to problems, adding that this gives Trump an advantage in negotiation processes.

Christodoulides also addressed the Cyprus problem in the interview, claiming that the “biggest obstacle” to a settlement was the position of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He argued that many countries in the region, including Greece, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, India and the United States, were cooperating on the Cyprus problem, while Turkey remained outside this cooperation.

According to the report, Christodoulides also referred to the new US Ambassador to Nicosia, John Breslow, saying that Breslow had been working for many years to strengthen relations between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus. He added that the Republic of Cyprus had never been as close to the United States as it is today.

Christodoulides said the United States was now the Republic of Cyprus’ closest ally in the fields of defence, security and intelligence.

Noting that US companies were also increasing their investments in the Republic of Cyprus, Christodoulides said there were “unlimited opportunities” for further developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

According to the report, Christodoulides said one of the key reasons for the closer ties between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States was their shared interests in the energy sector. He noted that Chevron and ExxonMobil were operating in the Republic of Cyprus’ so-called Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Christodoulides said natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean were important for Europe’s energy security.

He also said developments in the Middle East were affecting global energy supplies, adding that the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean as an alternative energy source for Europe and the wider world was growing.

According to the report, Christodoulides said another important area of cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus was the protection of Christian minorities in the Middle East.

Stressing that Christian communities living in Arab countries in the region were of great importance to stability, Christodoulides said they were cooperating with the United States and Trump on the issue.

Christodoulides said the two countries had “unlimited” shared interests, particularly in the protection of Christians, trade, energy, economic affairs, defence and security.

According to the report, Christodoulides also referred to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), expressing hope that progress would be made on the project.

Recalling that he had met Trump personally during the Gaza peace summit held in Egypt last year, Christodoulides said he hoped to visit the White House in the near future.

Christodoulides described the lifting of the US arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus as one of the significant developments in US-Cyprus defence relations. He also expressed his expectation that the arrangement lifting the embargo would not need to be renewed annually, but could instead be renewed for five-year periods.

According to the report, Christodoulides said investments by US companies in the Republic of Cyprus had reached record levels not only in the defence sector but also in other areas. He argued that US companies investing in the Republic of Cyprus were not simply investing in a country with a population of around one million, but gaining access to the 450-million-strong European market, while also being able to use the Republic of Cyprus as a gateway to reach the wider Middle Eastern market.