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The United States marked Cyprus’ Independence Day with a message that put the growing relationship between the two countries front and center, highlighting a partnership extending from regional security to classrooms and business opportunities.
In a statement Thursday congratulating the people of the Republic on 66 years of independence, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ties continue to strengthen each year.
Rubio pointed to defense and energy cooperation as contributing to regional security, alongside closer commercial and economic links benefiting both countries. His message placed Cyprus firmly in the picture as a partner Washington wants to work more closely with in the years ahead.
The relationship also has an increasingly practical side for people here. Rubio highlighted an agreement signed this year to expand the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, strengthening educational exchanges and support for English teaching.
He linked that cooperation to opportunities beyond the classroom, describing language learning and educational exchange as a way to open doors for business.
Alongside the anniversary wishes, Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s position on the Cyprus issue: support for a Cypriot-led settlement, facilitated by the United Nations, that reunites the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation in line with U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The statement offered no new diplomatic initiative but brought together the main strands of an increasingly close relationship: security, energy, economic cooperation, and education, with continued backing for reunification.
As Cyprus celebrates its independence, Washington’s message is that it sees further room for that partnership to grow.
