Cyprus’ contribution to the plan for Gaza as outlined by US President Donald Trump was part of the agenda at the meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos in Washington on Monday.
“We covered a large number of issues, bilateral but also those concerning our region, such as Gaza and Syria,” Kombos said after the meeting.
He emphasised that Cyprus had proven that it was able to offer complementary contributions to both the US’s humanitarian but also to reconstruction efforts in the destroyed Gaza strip.
“It was a particularly productive discussion, the relationship [between Cyprus and the US] is stable, consistent and continuous,” Kombos said.
The discussion at the meeting between Kombos and Rubio also included the Cyprus problem. The minister said that finding a solution to the Cyprus problem was important for the US as it impacted regional stability, as “what is happening in Cyprus affects American plans more broadly.”
He added that the US had also expressed interest in Cyprus’s upcoming EU Council Presidency and that specific topics of interest to the American side had been discussed.
“[The discussion included] topics related to investments, defence, protection of technology companies with headquarters in the US and more generally referred to issues of regulatory frameworks implemented by the EU,” he said.
Kombos added that the Cyprus Presidency presented an opportunity to strengthen the dialogue and discussions between the EU and the US, noting that there was room for improvement in this regard.
“It is particularly important that on the American side, areas of interest are identified where US-EU interests can converge, provided there is the possibility of dialogue, negotiation and discussion,” he said.
As part of their meeting, Kombos and Rubio also discussed the’3+1′ framework, established in 2019, which comprises Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States.
“The 3+1 format at the leadership level was also raised, with Mr. Rubio representing the US, as well as energy cooperation, given the presence of US companies in the Cypriot EEZ and, more broadly, in the Greek EEZ,” the minister said.
A relevant meeting took place between Energy Minister George Papanastasiou and his counterparts from Greece, the US and Israel in Athens in early November.
During the meeting all parties reaffirmed their commitment to the format, aimed at supporting the diversification of regional energy supplies by reducing reliance on “hostile actors” and improving connectivity between “like-minded regional partners.”
