Cyprus’ bilateral relations with the United States of America are at a new level, said President Nicos Christodoulides on Monday. The President was asked to comment on an interview the American Ambassador in Cyprus Julie D. Fisher gave to Phileleftheros and in-cyprus.
In the interview, Fisher commended the Cypriot government’s willingness to comply with US sanctions aimed against locally-based entities and individuals who facilitated the hiding of assets of people connected with funding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
She also stressed that Cyprus and the US have grown closer in the past years.
President Christodoulides noted that the views of Ambassador Fisher align with the approach of the Cypriot government and welcomed her statements on various issues.
“I consider her references on all matters to be significant and in line with our own approach. This applies to the issue of sanctions and the response of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the future of our bilateral relations, which have developed to a significant extent in recent years in the areas of defence, security, political relations, and consultations. Our plan – which we have already begun implementing – is to have such developments, and for the Cypriot society to perceive this new level of relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States,” he said.
The President referred to two examples of these relations. He mentioned that following their initial contact with the US Ambassador, they have already received the roadmap regarding waiving visas for Cypriot citizens wanting to travel to the United States. He added that a coordinator has been appointed, given the involvement of several ministries in this matter, who is now working together with the ministries and US authorities to make progress.
Another area where the government of Cyprus is coordinating with the US government, he mentioned, is to attract American investment to the island.
“We are working in coordination to ensure that we soon have some trade missions from the United States. These missions recognise the added value of investing not only in Cyprus but also in the wider region.”
Finally, when asked about a timeline for concluding discussions on entry visas with the United States, the President of the Republic stated that a specific timeline has been set, but he prefers not to disclose it publicly.