In his first interview since taking office in September, on the deck of the USS Roosevelt, which had called at the port of Limassol, and after a U.S. honor guard marched for the first time in the annual military parade on October 1, Ambassador Breslow answers questions about defense and military cooperation between the two countries.
When asked to provide examples of what has been achieved since the signing of the bilateral roadmap for defense cooperation for 2024–2029, the U.S. Ambassador stated that “the roadmap has already begun and is progressing very well.”
He noted that the roadmap spans five years and will be completed near the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term, adding that “something I would definitely like to do before he leaves office—since he appointed me—is to call him and tell him that this (the roadmap) needs to be renewed.”
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Regarding the actions taken so far under the roadmap, Mr. Breslow spoke about plans to expand the facilities at Paphos Airport and the Cyclops program, which “is a wonderful program,” as he noted.
He explained that as part of Cyclops, a training center built with U.S. funding in Cyprus has hosted training sessions in areas such as cybersecurity and border security, adding that the training is primarily conducted with the assistance of the New Jersey National Guard.
“Many people have benefited from this, and it is a wonderful, wonderful program,” he added.
Returning to the issue of renewing the roadmap, the U.S. Ambassador noted that “it’s a bit early to talk about renewal right now. We’re halfway through it, but it should be renewed because it’s groundbreaking for Cyprus and the U.S.”
When asked about the USS Roosevelt’s visit to the port of Limassol and whether it signals a new era of visits to Cyprus by U.S. ships, as well as whether there are plans for joint exercises aimed at strengthening security in the region, Mr. Breslow replied that “I think there are plans for many different military operations here in Cyprus, for defensive operations.”
“And the future looks very bright,” he noted, adding, however, that “I cannot go into details about some of them.”
When asked to mention something specific, he replied: “I think you’ll see more warships and ships visiting the port like this one. And there will be some joint exercises, such as those conducted as part of Operation Cyclops. So, we hope to continue.”
When asked about the U.S. position regarding Cyprus’s potential accession to NATO and whether the U.S. would support a Cypriot application to the Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mr. Breslow said, “First of all, I think the issue of Cyprus’s accession to NATO begins with the citizens of Cyprus. I mean, I believe they are the ones who must decide that this is something they want to do.”
“And I believe that the capabilities created by the U.S. and Cyprus together are almost like NATO. I mean, the U.S. will protect Cyprus in the future. And I think that’s very important. So I can’t predict what will happen in the future. No one can predict it, but I think the U.S. will be very, very supportive,” he noted.
When asked what the U.S. government’s position is on a permanent lifting of the arms embargo against Cyprus—which is currently renewed annually—he replied that “I cannot tell you what the government’s position is, but I can tell you that there is growing momentum in the Senate to extend the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations).
“They’ve mentioned three years, five years,” he added. “Senator (Cory) Booker, as far as I know, is interested in making this happen. And some of his staff members were here recently, and we discussed it,” he said. So, Ambassador Breslow continued, “I believe that ITAR may be expanded in the future, but that’s not my decision to make. Obviously, I don’t set policy. That’s something Congress and the President do.” However, he noted, “I believe there is some momentum to achieve this.”
When asked what he thought of Cyprus, he said, “I’ve only been here for a month. I’d never been to Cyprus before. I couldn’t come until the Senate confirmed my appointment.”
“I love Cyprus. My wife, Sonia, and I have fallen in love with it. In fact, we’ve been touring the island, and on our first visit, my wife told me, ‘I love this place. ‘When you finish your term as Ambassador, I’d like us to live here,’ so that shows you just how much we love it.”
When asked to share his thoughts as he begins his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, he replied, “I look forward to serving with enthusiasm. In fact, even though I’ve only been here a month, I can already tell that I’ll be very sad when I leave Cyprus. I really like it here. It’s a real challenge.”
“And the people I’ve met are so friendly and wonderful. Something that has surprised me is that everyone is smiling and enjoys what they do,” he concluded.
Source: CNA
