Washington, United States. Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said contacts with US congressional leaders are particularly important to efforts to strengthen relations with the United States. He made the remarks in a video statement marking the end of his Washington visit on Wednesday.
Meetings with congressional leadership
Kombos referred to meetings with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee on energy and water development.
He said it was the second time he had the opportunity to visit and meet with congressional leadership, adding that this was particularly important in the effort to strengthen relations with the US.
Think tank events and regional cooperation
Kombos said he also spoke at events organised by various think tanks, including one focusing on cooperation with Gulf countries organised by the Arab Gulf States Institute.
He said Cyprus, as a reliable partner to the US and as the presiding country of the Council of the EU, would continue efforts to contribute to resolving issues that affect both countries, citing a challenging geostrategic and geopolitical situation.
Meeting with Greece’s defence minister
The statement followed Kombos’ Tuesday meeting with Greece’s defence minister in Washington DC on the sidelines of a conference organised by a Greek non-profit organisation.
The two ministers were invited to speak at a workshop hosted by the Delphi Economic Forum. Kombos spoke on the priorities of the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the European Union, Cyprus-US relations, transatlantic relations and international developments.
What do you think the focus of Cyprus’ outreach to US congressional leaders signals for its foreign policy priorities?
