Nicosia and Washington have officially launched the first-ever Cyprus-US Strategic Dialogue to deepen their strategic bilateral relations, according to Kathimerini’s Yiannis Ioannou. The initiative began with a visit by James O’Brien, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Euro-Asian Affairs, who met with Cypriot officials to discuss a range of policy issues. As part of the event, the Artemis Accords—an agreement on the peaceful exploration of outer space—will be signed, with Cypriot Deputy Minister Nicodemus Damianou representing Cyprus in an online ceremony with NASA.
This Strategic Dialogue follows an agreement reached in June between Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombou and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. It aims to institutionalize annual high-level meetings centered on mutual priorities and shared democratic values. The discussions will focus on international and regional cooperation, security, crisis management, law enforcement, education, technology, and energy.
The dialogue marks a significant step in the U.S. foreign policy strategy of formalizing relationships with allied nations through structured dialogues. Cyprus becomes the 14th EU country to join this framework, potentially benefiting from enhanced political, economic, defense, and trade relations, opportunities for U.S. investment, and increased exports to the American market.