US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described his meeting with Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos in Washington as “productive”, highlighting the two countries’ shared priorities ahead of Cyprus’s assumption of the EU Council Presidency in 2026 and thanking Cyprus for its support in promoting regional security.
In a post on X, Secretary Rubio said he met with “Foreign Minister Kombos today to discuss our shared priorities as the Republic of Cyprus prepares to assume the 2026 EU Council Presidency”.
He added that the discussion also focused on “Cyprus’ role in supporting regional security and opportunities for us to expand our energy and security cooperation.”
Strengthening transatlantic cooperation and preparing for Cyprus’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union were the main topics discussed during the meeting between Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
According to a State Department statement, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Republic of Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos today and discussed advancing transatlantic cooperation during the Republic of Cyprus’s January – June 2026 EU Council Presidency”.
The Secretary “thanked Cyprus for its support in promoting regional security and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza,” while the two officials also discussed “opportunities to expand energy security and cooperation.”
Productive meeting with Foreign Minister @CKombos today to discuss our shared priorities as the Republic of Cyprus prepares to assume the 2026 EU Council Presidency. We also talked about Cyprus’ role in supporting regional security and opportunities for us to expand our energy… pic.twitter.com/bu0IUmVrwZ
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) November 17, 2025
In his statements after the meeting, Kombos said the Cyprus-US relationship has “stability, consistency, and continuity,” noting that he had a “constructive” discussion with his US counterpart.
“We covered a wide range of issues both bilateral and regional, such as Gaza and Syria,” he said.
Regarding bilateral matters, Kombos said they discussed “the progress achieved in relation to the strategic dialogue, the possibility of conducting an interim progress review, as well as a specialised form of discussion at a technical and technocratic level concerning the Middle East.”
The issue of a 3+1 leaders’ meeting (Cyprus, Greece, Israel, United States) with Rubio’s participation on the American side, was also raised, along with energy cooperation, given the presence of US companies in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone and more broadly, in Greece’s EEZ, he noted.
The two Ministers also discussed how the Republic of Cyprus could contribute to President Trump’s plan for Gaza. “Cyprus has proven that it can make a complementary contribution to the American effort, both in the humanitarian field and in reconstruction,” said Kombos.
According to the Minister, the issue of Syria was also discussed namely, “how the stability of the system can be supported, as well as the shared interest in protecting minorities, particularly Christians in Syria.”
“It was a highly productive discussion” Kombos said, stressing that this relationship “has stability, consistency, and continuity.”
He noted that this was his second visit to the State Department within 17 months, noting that, in the meantime, the Cyprus President visited the White House, the strategic dialogue had been signed, and the Republic of Cyprus participated in the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting.
“This relationship is of particular importance to us; it serves as a compass for our foreign policy, and both sides share the same approach on how to work more intensively to advance and deepen it further,” Kombos stresses.
The Minister also said that the Cyprus question was raised during the discussion with the US Secretary of State. He noted that Rubio knows the issue from his previous capacity while that the US position regarding the basis of the solution, the need for progress, was reaffirmed, and, the issue of regional stability, which, he said was important to the US side, “since what happens in Cyprus affects broader American strategic planning”. “The conclusion of our discussion was encouraging, given that the US is a Permanent Member of the Security Council,” he added.
The US side also expressed interest in Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union, raising specific questions of concern. “They referred to issues relating to investment, defence, and the protection of major technology corporations headquartered in the United States, as well as to regulatory frameworks applied by the EU,” he noted.
“Cyprus, as a small country assuming the (EU) presidency, sees this as an opportunity to strengthen dialogue and discussion between the EU and the US, which at present is not as extensive as it could be. On our part, there is such a will. It is particularly significant that the American side also identifies areas of interest where US- EU interests can converge, provided there is room for dialogue, negotiation, and discussion,” Kombos concluded.
(Sources: CNA, X)
