The position of the United States on the Cyprus problem is "clear and unmovable," the new US Ambassador to Cyprus, John Breslow, said on Wednesday as he presented his credentials to President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides. Breslow said Washington supports "a Cyprus-led effort, facilitated by the United Nations, to reunify the island on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots," adding that "this is a solution that will come from the Cypriots themselves." In his reply, Christodoulides said the "unacceptable military occupation by Turkey of more than one third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus must end," and revealed he would soon travel to the US again to pursue further investment and business partnerships.
The ambassador's three priorities
Presenting his credentials, Breslow said he came to Cyprus "not as a career diplomat, but as an American who has spent a lifetime building businesses and serving in public life." He said he had remained guided by the values he grew up with in Nebraska, "hard work, taking responsibility and keeping my word," adding that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had entrusted him with the role because "they believe results are what matter." His goal, he said, was to deliver tangible results benefiting both countries.
Breslow identified three areas for deeper cooperation. The first was the safety of Americans on the island and joint crisis preparedness, in which he said the Republic of Cyprus "has proven a valuable and reliable partner," including in evacuating American citizens from crisis areas in the region. The second was the contribution of American business and technology to Cyprus' development, particularly in energy, security and innovation. The third was closer cooperation on countering malicious influence, strengthening energy security, protecting the international financial system from abuse, and leading on the artificial intelligence revolution.
On the Cyprus problem, Breslow said:
"The position of the United States is clear and unmovable: we support a Cyprus-led effort, facilitated by the United Nations, to reunify the island on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions." He added that "this is a solution that will come from the Cypriots themselves and will concern the Cypriot people, and America stands ready to support you in the effort to achieve it."
He said he looked forward to working with the government and people of Cyprus "to build a safer, more prosperous and more stable future for both our countries."
A strategic partnership, and a red line on occupation
Receiving Breslow's credentials, Christodoulides said Cyprus and the US had, in recent years, upgraded their relationship into "a comprehensive and strategically oriented partnership" spanning political dialogue, security and defence, law enforcement, energy, trade and investment, education and innovation, and closer people-to-people ties. He said Cyprus had "consistently proven itself a reliable and trusted partner of the US, as well as a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean."
He pointed to progress over the past three years including the Cyprus-US Defence Cooperation Dialogue, the Roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation for 2024-2029, Cyprus' access to the Foreign Military Sales and Excess Defence Articles programmes, expanded joint training and exercises, the admission of Cypriot citizens to US Armed Forces academies, and cooperation on defence infrastructure. On law enforcement, he highlighted the CYCLOPS training centre in Larnaca, jointly established by Cyprus and the US, calling it "a flagship regional initiative" that has trained thousands of participants from more than 50 countries.
Christodoulides thanked the US for its "consistent and long-standing position" on the Cyprus problem and said that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US had an important role in supporting efforts for a reunified, peaceful and prosperous Cyprus. He stressed that "the existing status quo cannot be the future of Cyprus and its people. The unacceptable military occupation by Turkey of more than one third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus must end." He welcomed UN Secretary-General António Guterres' visit to Cyprus in July 2026 as a sign of renewed UN engagement, and said Cyprus remained fully committed to the Secretary-General's effort to reach a lasting settlement.
Next stop: a return trip to Washington
Christodoulides said his visit to the US last year had helped open the way for significant American investments and partnerships, including initiatives involving Tenstorrent, NVIDIA and Plug and Play, with further announcements expected in innovation and advanced technology. He said a new visit to the US to attract further investment and business partnerships is now being planned.
He also noted Cyprus' continued commitment to joining the US Visa Waiver Programme, calling it "an important next step in our bilateral relations," and cited growing educational ties, including the new 2026 Memorandum of Cooperation for the Fulbright Student English Assistants programme.
The same message, delivered to Congress
Separately on Wednesday, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said Cyprus-US relations had "gained new depth, new momentum and new prospects" in recent years, in a post on X following a working lunch in Nicosia with a bipartisan delegation of professional staff members from the US House of Representatives and Senate.
🇨🇾🇺🇸 Οι σχέσεις Κύπρου και Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών έχουν τα τελευταία χρόνια αποκτήσει νέο βάθος, νέα δυναμική και νέες προοπτικές. Και αυτή η πορεία συνεχίζεται.
— Λετυμπιώτης Κων/νος (@letymbiotis) September 9, 2026
Αυτό συζητήσαμε σήμερα, σε γεύμα εργασίας με διακομματική αντιπροσωπεία επιστημονικών συνεργατών μελών της Βουλής των… pic.twitter.com/rCmjRo6Lcw
He wrote that the Strategic Dialogue, strengthened defence cooperation, and growing investment and economic ties were "more than milestones in a relationship that is advancing," calling them "the foundation for what more we can achieve together." He said important steps lay ahead, including the Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act and ITAR, which could give "even greater depth and long-term perspective" to the strategic partnership. On the Cyprus problem, he described a reunified Cyprus as a country that would "unlock the full potential" of Cyprus and serve as "an even stronger pillar of security, stability and cooperation" in the region, adding that bipartisan support for Nicosia in Congress "is invaluable."
