Washington hopes July Cyprus Conference Will be Fruitful

Speaking during the 40th Annual Pseka Conference in Washington, Rigas also said that the US welcomed the reappointment of María Ángela Holguín as the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy and the appointment of Johannes Hahn as the European Commission’s Special Envoy for Cyprus.

He also noted that trade and investment were the foundations of the US–Cyprus relationship.

“In April, we welcomed President Christodoulides to New York, Houston, and Silicon Valley to strengthen bilateral ties. At the same time, American tech companies like IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Oracle have operated in Cyprus for decades and are now competing to modernise the country’s ICT infrastructure. Cyprus is an attractive market for American tech companies for commercializing research, advancing innovation, and promoting entrepreneurship,” Rigas said.

He added that issues such as digital transformation, harnessing artificial intelligence for development, and tackling cyber threats are vital for both American and Cypriot companies. He noted that General Electric Aerospace was another major player seeing opportunity in Cyprus, partnering with UANCO to develop a regional jet engine repair hub.

“We encourage Cyprus to adopt a foreign direct investment screening mechanism, so that investments align with the interests of the Cypriot people and bring economic benefits without compromising national security. Greece has already enacted such legislation, and we welcome the Cypriot Parliament’s consideration of a similar framework. Companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil, leaders in offshore hydrocarbon development, are also investing in Cyprus,” he stated.

“Our longstanding position is that resource development in the Eastern Mediterranean must promote cooperation and provide a solid foundation for stable energy security and regional prosperity. The US first joined the trilateral meetings under the Trump Administration and remains committed to advancing this cooperation,” he added.

He also noted that US–Cyprus cooperation extends beyond the bilateral level. A case in point is the Cyclops Training Centre in Larnaca. It has trained hundreds of Cypriot officials and thousands from 20 regional countries in border security, non-proliferation, cybersecurity, maritime security, and more, Rigas said.

He described the US–Cyprus relationship was described as “strong, strategic, and broadly supported” by both the American public and the diaspora.

Responding to a question from diaspora members on the Trump administration’s stance on the Cyprus issue. Rigas said that he didn’t’ think there was going to be any new policy pronouncements right now but the US wanted to endorse the ongoing processes under the UN envoy’s auspices and the longstanding US government position.

“We want to ensure that all these issues are resolved through a process that ensures fairness and equity for everyone involved,” he said.

Pseka President Philip Christopher, in his address highlighted the long-standing nature of Pseka’s, noting that “we’ve been doing this for 51 years,” since the time of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. While many, he said, “might wonder: ‘What do we have to show for it?’,” the essence of the struggle lies in the fact that “the Republic of Cyprus continues to exist — independent, democratic, a member of the United Nations, a member of the European Union, and still fighting.”

Cyprus’ ambassador to Washington, Evangelos Savva told delegates that the island was in “the strongest position it has ever been in its history,” as it has been “a full member of the European Union for 20 years” and is recognised as “a strategic partner” of the United States.

Source: Cyprus Mail