U.S. Ambassador John Breslow has arrived in Cyprus and is expected to present his credentials to President Nikos Christodoulides in the coming days.
The U.S. Embassy in Cyprus announced Breslow’s arrival in a post on X, saying that the new ambassador “looks forward to presenting his credentials” to President Christodoulides in the days ahead.
Breslow, a businessman and former Nebraska State Auditor, was nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate on August 7, 2026. He is the first political appointee, rather than a career diplomat, to serve as U.S. ambassador to Cyprus, according to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch.
Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Breslow spent most of his professional career in the private sector, serving as owner and Chairman of the Board of Linweld, Inc., which grew into one of the largest industrial gas and welding supply companies in the United States. He was elected Nebraska State Auditor in 1990 and re-elected in 1994, while in 1998 he ran for Governor of Nebraska.
In his April 16 confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Breslow described the relationship between the United States and Cyprus as an “enduring friendship” based on “mutually beneficial collaboration and a steadfast commitment to peace.” He said the two countries share “a vision for stability and prosperity in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Breslow highlighted the deepening of U.S.-Cyprus security cooperation, pointing to the December 2018 signing of a Statement of Intent on bilateral security cooperation and the passage of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act in 2019. He also referred to cooperation through the State Partnership Program with New Jersey.
He described Cyprus as strategically important because of its position “at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa,” saying that the country’s partnership is “vital to American interests and to the broader transatlantic community.”
If confirmed, Breslow said his first priority would be to protect the safety and security of Americans in Cyprus. He praised the Republic of Cyprus as “a valued and reliable partner” in helping U.S. citizens evacuate from crisis areas in recent years.
“Our cooperation is making the region more resilient to dangerous actors and keeping America safe,” he said, adding that strong bilateral relations had also increased the confidence of American companies to establish operations or expand their presence on the island.
Breslow also placed particular emphasis on trade and investment, saying that, if confirmed, he would work to “advance trade and investment opportunities” in order to make both economies “more competitive” and the two countries “more prosperous.”
On the Cyprus problem, Breslow said he would continue to support “a Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated effort to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots,” in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
