President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday heralded his invitation to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House, attributing it to Cyprus’ strengthening “regional and international footprint”.
Christodoulides is expected to meet with Biden on Wednesday after the surprise announcement on Sunday. The meeting will take place just six days before the US presidential elections.
Both Disy and Diko described it as a positive development, illustrating the deepening ties between the countries, as the strategic dialogue between Cyprus and the US was kicked into motion last week.
“The invitation comes following a series of significant developments that demonstrate the strengthening of our country’s regional, international footprint,” which is something the government has been methodically working on, Christodoulides said after the parade marking Oxi Day.
“Beyond that, there is the bilateral dimension. From day one we have been on the right side of history,” he said.
“There have been positive developments, we are working on and there will soon be even more, whether they are in the field of defence and security or in the field of attracting investment, in the field of technology. There are several areas that we are working on and we will have positive announcements very soon.”
Christodoulides added that the “strengthening of the country’s footprint” strengthens efforts to achieve Cyprus “number one goal” which is solving the Cyprus problem.
“We prove every day that we are not part of the problem. The Republic of Cyprus, always within the framework of its capabilities, can offer solutions, solutions that concern the international community and within this framework we strengthen our own efforts, so that we can liberate our country.”
The invitation comes a few days after the first round of talks on the strategic dialogue between Cyprus and the US in Nicosia last week and a few months after the signing of a defence agreement with the Pentagon.
The last time a Cyprus president was invited to the White House was in 1996 when President Glafcos Clerides held a meeting with then US President Bill Clinton.
Disy said Christodoulides’ invitation marks the tangible results of “the correct stance that Cyprus consistently maintained in recent years”, jointly and in full cooperation with Greece.
“It comes on the heels of upgrading Cyprus’ military cooperation with the US, which began with the lifting of the embargo on the sale of US arms and continues at the level of personnel training.”
Diko called the invitation, the first after 28 years, a “powerful diplomatic success”,
“It is not just a symbolic gesture but it reflects the upgraded position of Cyprus on the international geopolitical scene.”
