Nikos Christodoulides, departs on Tuesday evening for Washington, where he will meet on Wednesday, with the President of the USA, Joe Biden, following an invitation by the American President, Government Spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said in a written statement, noting that the meeting was a “tangible indication” of the constantly expanding diplomatic footprint of the Republic of Cyprus.
This will be the first visit by the President of the Republic of Cyprus to the White House for a meeting with the US President since 1996, after the meeting in June 1996 between President Clerides and President Clinton, he adds.
According to the Spokesperson, during the meeting, which is scheduled for 11.30 am, local time, (5.30 pm Cyprus time), the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, Cyprus-US bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East are expected to be discussed, “including the Republic of Cyprus’ role in matters of humanitarian aid amid the enormous crisis in the region”.
The meeting, he adds, comes at a time when “the bilateral relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the USA are at the highest level and are characterised as exceptional, but also at a time when the efforts of the UN Secretary-General for the restart of the negotiations continue and intensify”, Letymbiotis notes.
The meeting between the Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus and the US, he adds, is “the culmination of actions and important developments in the relations between the two countries.”
Letymbiotis notes that within the 20 months of President Christodoulides’ administration “relations have been significantly strengthened” in a wide range of sectors, such as in defence cooperation through the signing of a Roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation in September 2024, the cooperation to strengthen the capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus as regards identifying and prosecuting economic crime with the contribution of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the implementation of the “Amalthea” maritime corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, but also as regards attracting investments, and in the economy and energy sectors.
LETYMBIOTIS, “CYPRUS-US STRATEGIC DIALOGUE IS AN HISTORIC MILESTONE”
The signing of the Cyprus-US Strategic Dialogue with the first dialogue held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in Nicosia, is “an historic milestone”, he adds.
The invitation and the upcoming meeting of the President of the Republic with the President of the USA notes the Spokesperson, is “a tangible indication of the ever-expanding diplomatic footprint of the Republic of Cyprus, in a critical period for the region and for the world, as well as recognition of the important role it plays.”
The President of the Republic will be accompanied to the USA by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, the Government Spokesman, and the Deputy Minister of European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, among others.
