“The sky’s the limit,” said President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides regarding relations between Cyprus – U.S., in an interview he gave to the American media outlet Breitbart News on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The President described the U.S. as Cyprus’s closest partner in trade, defense, security, and intelligence, while speaking about the U.S. President, he noted that “Trump has a ‘unique advantage’ in negotiations because ‘you know where you stand’ with the U.S. President.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
In fact, U.S. President Donald Trump shared the interview in a post on Truth Social.
At the same time, he also addressed the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s stance, which he characterized as “hypocritical,” and, speaking about Ankara’s attempt to portray itself as a protector of Arab and Muslim countries, the President of the Republic said that “this is not true.”
He also spoke about the defense sector and developments regarding natural gas, announcing that further announcements would be made early next month.
The President’s Interview
“For me, President Trump has a unique advantage. Whether you like him or not, you know where you stand. When you know where you stand, you can sit down together, discuss things, and—even on the most challenging and difficult issues—find a solution. It proves that we may disagree, but if we sit down together, we can find a solution.”
President Christodoulides’ comments on Trump were made as part of a broader section of the interview, which focused on the fact that Cyprus concluded its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union earlier this year and on his efforts to bring Europe closer to both the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East as well as to the United States. He argued that Europe cannot afford “the luxury” of not standing shoulder to shoulder with Trump and the United States, and that Western civilization truly needs a united West.
“The most important achievement of our presidency was to bring the region closer to the European Union,” said President Christodoulides. “It took a great deal of time and effort for my colleagues and the European Council to understand the significance of the broader Middle East, and we are very satisfied. In this context, we also held an informal meeting in Cyprus with the 27 member states, the leaders of the 27 member states, and the presidents of the institutions, along with leaders from the region. The second point is the importance we now attach, as the European Union, to the issue of defense. Through the SAFE mechanism, we are spending 150 billion euros to strengthen the capabilities of the European Union and its member states. The third point, which is very, very important to us, is that while we may have different approaches to certain issues than the United States, we cannot under any circumstances afford to have a transatlantic rift.”
Trump’s new ambassador to Cyprus, John Breslow, took office in early September, and President Christodoulides told Breitbart News that he has already taken action.
“The new ambassador was in various places and was working last week,” the President said in the interview, which took place during the week of the high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September.
“The United States is our most important partner in trade, defense, and security—across all sectors,” President Christodoulides said. “As I told you, one of the reasons the European Union exists today is the support of the United States immediately after World War II, and we cannot afford a transatlantic rift. We must work together, and that was very important. I have mentioned this before: for several years now—I remember when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, or previously as a government spokesperson or diplomatic advisor to the former President— we discussed the need to strengthen our defense capabilities. Talk, talk, nothing but talk, and very nice statements, very nice conclusions. This is the first time we have made a very specific decision to spend 150 billion euros to strengthen our defense and security capabilities, and Cyprus will benefit from this initiativewith 1.2 billion euros to strengthen its defense capabilities. In addition, we are working very closely with the United States to upgrade military infrastructure in Cyprus. This is one of the areas in which we are working very closely with the U.S. government, as we are on all the issues we discussed with the new ambassador.”
Cyprus Issue
President Christodoulides stated that the “major obstacle” to resolving the Cyprus issue is Erdogan’s intransigence.
“In fact, they say that we must resolve the Cyprus issue through the United Nations Secretary-General, with the support of the European Union as well,” President Christodoulides said. “You know, Cyprus is a member state of the European Union. We will continue to work toward resolving the Cyprus issue, and the major obstacle we face is Mr. Erdogan — who insists on a two-state solution, a solution outside the framework of the United Nations. I was there during his speech, and it is one of the few times the Cypriot President has been present when President Erdogan speaks. And, you know, politicians are judged by their actions, not by what they say. It was hypocritical to hear Mr. Erdoğan speak about the UN Charter and international law regarding refugees. He presented himself as the protector of all people, of all countries facing occupation, problems, and challenges. I had to respond to him. I had to respond to him because, as I told you, what we are seeing—not only in Cyprus—is a new Ottoman-style approach by Turkey, aimed at presenting itself as the protector of the Arab world and the Muslim world, which is not the case. Even the Arab countries in the region—I don’t want to speak on their behalf—do not view Turkey as a protector. On the contrary, Turkey is challenging international law. Turkey has issues with all its neighboring countries, and yet here we have Mr. Erdoğan coming to New York and presenting himself as the UN Secretary-General who will protect humanity.”
Christodoulides added in his interview that all the other countries in the region—he mentioned several, including Greece, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, India, as well as the United States and others—are cooperating, with the exception of Turkey.
“As I told you before, we are all judged by what we do, not by what we say. And in the region, we have several countries with similar views that are cooperating with one another: Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the UAE, India, the broader Middle East—all of us—with the support of the United States,” Christodoulides said. “We’ll talk about the United States later, but we are very pleased to have the United States back in the region, because without the U.S. in the region, I very much fear that a vacuum will be created that will be filled by malicious actors. We can discuss this later. All these countries in the region—countries with similar views—and the U.S. are working on a positive agenda. We are not working against any country, and the only country not participating in this regional alliance is Turkey. Turkey is not participating because of its behavior, because of Mr. Erdoğan’s actions, because of what he is doing, failing to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of its neighboring countries. Therefore, I could not help but respond to Mr. Erdoğan and what he was saying.”
President Christodoulides, who stated that “I was there” during Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly, where the U.S. President spoke about using American power to advance U.S. interests worldwide, and noted that in all the years he has been working to develop closer relations with the United States, he has never seen Cyprus as close to America as it is today.
“I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a young diplomat in 1999,” Christodoulides said. “The only issue on our agenda with the United States (at that time) was the Cyprus issue; nothing else. Today, I am very pleased that the United States is our closest ally—in defense, security, and intelligence. We are working very hard. We have American investments in Cyprus, in trade. The sky’s the limit when it comes to our bilateral relations with the United States, and, as I told you earlier, we are very pleased to have the United States back in the region, especially with this administration, which fully understands the importance of the Middle East—the broader Middle East—and we are very pleased to be working together. Energy is a very important sector that we can discuss later, but right now we are at the highest level our bilateral relations with the U.S. government have ever been.”
He said that the reason Cyprus and the United States—especially under Trump’s leadership in America at this time—are natural allies is their deep shared interests.
“It’s what I told you earlier: we are reliable, predictable partners of the United States in the region. We have common interests. We have common approaches. We must work together, and we are working together. The countries in the region—if I may speak on behalf of the countries in the region—are very pleased to have the United States back in the region. For example, in the Middle East, this is the first time we have a concrete plan—from President Trump—and we fully support his plan. In fact, we have even put forward some ideas on how to implement this plan, and this is a clear indication of President Trump’s interest in our region. Imagine if there were no American interest in our neighbors. Who and what forces would step in to fill the void that would be created without American involvement in the region? Malicious actors. Therefore, it is very important to have a government that fully understands the geopolitical significance of the region.”
Energy
One of the most important sectors in which U.S.-Cyprus relations have flourished recently is the energy sector. Chevron and ExxonMobil, two of the largest U.S. energy companies, are operating in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, seeking to contribute to natural gas production. Breitbart News had previously conducted a major exclusive interview with Cyprus’s Minister of Energy this past summer on this very topic, an interview that Trump shared on Truth Social.
When asked about this development in relations between the two countries, Christodoulides told Breitbart News that, as developments in the Middle East are causing disruption to the global energy supply, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, as an alternative, are taking on even greater significance for Europe and the world. He also said that major energy announcements are expected in Cyprus in early October, which will further strengthen ties.
“Especially given the developments in the Gulf, the Eastern Mediterranean is now attracting much more attention from an energy perspective, because the Eastern Mediterranean, in cooperation with —Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, and even Lebanon—can develop into an alternative energy corridor for Europe, and we recognize how important this is today for Europe’s strategic autonomy, particularly with regard to energy,” Christodoulides said. “Yes, we are very pleased to have two major American energy giants in our exclusive economic zone. In fact, yesterday and the day before, I met with both Exxon and Chevron, and I’ll give you an exclusive. Within the first two weeks of October, we’ll have an important announcement regarding the presence of American energy companies in our exclusive economic zone, and I’m very pleased, because we are now at the stage of development, at the stage of production. We have signed an agreement with Egypt. We are in discussions with Israel and with these two major American companies, which, first and foremost, inspire our confidence, but also serve as a clear indication of the region’s importance.”
The natural gas that Cyprus intends to extract from its waters will be intended not only for domestic consumption but also for Europe and other partners.
“It is for domestic consumption, but also for export to Europe,” Christodoulides said. “In fact, we have already signed the first agreement to export Cypriot natural gas to Europe by the end of 2027 or early 2028. We will send the first shipment of Cypriot natural gas to Europe, but, as I told you earlier, with the announcement we are set to make within the first two weeks of October, you will see that we will have more exploration activities in our exclusive economic zone by American companies.”
Christodoulides also stated that Cyprus’s ability to contribute to Europe’s energy supply and help create more Western energy sources is extremely important, as evidenced by the Russian war in Ukraine, which showed that dependence on malicious actors for energy is a path to disaster for the West.
“First and foremost, from Cyprus’s perspective, as you know, our orientation is clearly Western, and there is no way we will grant a license for any block in our exclusive economic zone to companies that oppose the clear orientation of,” he stated. “At the same time, what is important—and this is what I mentioned earlier—especially for Europe, is that we have seen the consequences of dependence on Russia in the energy sector. The great potential of the Eastern Mediterranean to develop as an alternative energy corridor for Europe is extremely important.”
Another important area of cooperation between the U.S. and Cyprus is the protection of Christian minorities in the Middle East. The last time Breitbart News spoke with Christodoulides was during the transition from President Joe Biden’s previous administration to Trump’s second term, when he was appointing a special envoy for religious freedom in the Middle East following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. When asked about the current status of the issue, he told Breitbart News that Christian minorities in many Arab states in the Middle East are critical to “stability” and that he is working with the United States and Trump on this issue.
“In fact, I have appointed a special envoy, and, indeed, I sent a letter to President Trump informing him of the appointment and of the need to cooperate with the United States and other countries in order to protect Christian minorities. “Look, in all the countries of the region, the Christian minorities in those countries are a pillar of stability,” Christodoulides said. “In fact, the Christian minority is one of the main reasons for stability in the countries of the region. However, we continue to face many challenges, particularly in Syria, and that is why—through the European Union as well as at the bilateral level— when we speak with the Syrians, we consistently raise the issue of the need to protect and respect the Christian minority in the country and to be inclusive. Therefore, there are still several areas in which we must cooperate with the United States and certain other countries in order to truly protect Christian minorities in the region. Without the Christian minorities in the region—and consider all the countries, because every country in the region has Christian minorities—what would the situation be like today?”
President Christodoulides later added in the interview that the “convergences” between the United States and Cyprus on cultural issues, such as the protection of Christians, as well as in trade and energy, other economic issues, and, above all, defense and security, are countless. He also referred to hopes for progress on the idea of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, known as IMEC.
“First of all, let me tell you that two weeks ago I met with the President of Egypt, Al-Sisi. Subsequently, the President of Israel visited Cyprus,” Christodoulides stated. “I met here with His Majesty the King of Jordan. I am in close contact, almost every week, with the President of Lebanon. We are in talks with the UAE. We are working, first and foremost, to ensure stability and security in our region and to capitalize on the region’s great potential. And to achieve this, we also need the United States. There are so many areas where our interests align with those of the United States in the region, specifically regarding Christian minorities, Israel’s security, and stability in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. IMEC’s prospects, given India’s enormous market and its connection to the Middle East and Europe, are vast, and there are several projects with American companies, in the private sector, particularly—and this is interesting—in the field of connectivity. So there is so much we can do to create conditions of stability and security in the region. At the same time, let me reiterate: if we do not cooperate, a vacuum will be created, and then we will have malicious actors filling that vacuum, which would be contrary to our interests and to the interests of the West.”
He stated that he also met personally with Trump in Egypt, at the Gaza peace summit, which Trump chaired last year, and that he hopes to visit the White House soon.
“I had the opportunity to meet President Trump in person during the Gaza summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt,” he said. “I hope to visit him soon at the White House. I want to conclude with what I mentioned when we began our discussion, because I truly believe that there are no limits to our cooperation with the United States. For us, the United States is our most important partner.”
One of the significant developments in U.S.-Cyprus defense relations is that the arms embargo was recently lifted, and the United States can now sell weapons to Cyprus.
“In this context, and given our clear political will to spend much more on defense and security—and, in fact, before I came to New York, we approved the federal budget for 2027 and have a massive increase in Department of Defense spending, because we’re spending a lot on defense and security and we want to purchase equipment—but if you want to purchase equipment, you need to have a strategy,” said President Christodoulides. “To have a strategy, you can’t implement it with this one-year restriction, which requires renewal every year.”
He said that the hope now is that the lifting of the arms embargo will not require annual approvals, but can be renewed every five years.
“Exactly, because it’s very important for our strategy,” he said, adding that investments by U.S. companies in Cyprus—beyond the defense sector—are currently at historically high levels.
“Another very important area is that we have U.S. investments in Cyprus, likely for the first time on such a scale,” President Christodoulides stated. “Last year, I was in the United States. I visited New York, Texas, and Silicon Valley. I will return to the United States by the end of November to visit New York, Ohio, Boston, and Florida, in order to attract more American investment to Cyprus. When American companies invest in Cyprus, they are not simply investing in a country of nearly 1 million people. They are investing in Europe, in a market of 450 million people, and at the same time they have access—using Cyprus as a gateway—to the broader Middle East.”
