The President of the Republic noted that significant developments toward the resumption of talks cannot be ruled out, speaking at a meeting on the evening of September 20 —local time—with officials and members of the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America, in New York, adding that in the very near future there will be very significant announcements regarding new investments by American giants.
“This is a busy week, with the Cyprus issue dominating the meetings, and although there is a prevailing sentiment—much more so in Cyprus—that there will be no developments, I do not rule out the possibility of developments—and indeed significant ones—toward the resumption of talks. “We’ll discuss this again in a broader group on Friday evening when we’ll also take stock of the week,” he emphasized.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
President Christodoulides said that over the past 3.5 years, there have been tangible results in foreign policy and, after many years, Cyprus has once again become known in the U.S. for positive reasons, thanks to our initiatives in the region and a very successful EU Council Presidency. He also expressed satisfaction that the Cypriot economy, for the first time since 2011, is in Category A, having been upgraded on Friday evening by Standard & Poor’s.
“During a period marked by two wars, the Cypriot economy is growing; we inherited a public debt of approximately 80% of GDP, which today stands at 48% of GDP and is on a downward trend; we will further reduce the public debt, and we are running budget surpluses. As for unemployment, we have been at full employment since 2008; the unemployment rate is around 3.6–3.7%, and we’re continuing on this path.”
“And I’m pleased because a major effort we made—which yielded results thanks to your contribution as well,” he said, addressing the diaspora, was to achieve a significant increase in U.S. investment in Cyprus. “You may recall that last year I visited three states; we’ve seen results, particularly in the technology sector,” he added.
The President announced that he will be back in the U.S. at the end of November to participate in a Financial Times conference in New York on Cyprus.
“For the first time, we will launch a campaign in New York to bring Cypriot talent back to Cyprus. Our ‘brain gain’ campaign is yielding results. People used to leave Cyprus to come work in the U.S.; today, we want to bring people back to Cyprus,” he said.
In addition to New York, he mentioned that he would visit Ohio, Boston, and Florida to meet with companies interested in investing in Cyprus.
In the very near future, he said, there will also be some very important announcements regarding new investments by American giants.
“The economy is doing well. We are strengthening our country’s deterrent capabilities. Last Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the 2027 budget, with the most significant—and largest—increase going to the defense sector,” he said.
He added that “the fact that the economy is doing well allows us to invest more in the country’s defense, to invest in education and health care, we have increased social spending, and at the same time we are facing challenges—I remember 2023 when I took office, Cyprus’s biggest problem was migration; today, we are a model country in terms of migration, with a reduction in arrivals of over 90% and an increase in returns from our country of over 85%.”
Regarding Cyprus’s relations with the U.S., the President of the Republic noted that he recently received the new U.S. Ambassador.
“For the first time, we have a political appointee in Cyprus—an Ambassador with personal ties to the U.S. President. Based on the discussion we had, as well as on certain actions we observed immediately after he took office, I believe there is potential to further strengthen our relations. I will keep you informed so that we can coordinate our efforts. After all, you were the first to initiate this strengthening; you were the first to believe in it, and I am glad that, so many years later, we have achieved it,” he said.
For his part, Federation President Kyriakos Papastylianou, welcoming the President of the Republic, said, among other things, that the President is always faithful to his commitment to meet with the diaspora, noting that tonight’s topics of discussion will be the Cyprus issue—which is of particular concern to the diaspora— Cyprus–U.S. relations, and how the diaspora can contribute to their further development.
The President of the Republic then spoke with members of the diaspora and answered their questions.
Source: CNA
