The United States looks forward to building on the achievements of the past year and deepening its partnership with Cyprus in the years ahead, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press statement on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of Cyprus' independence, conveying the warm congratulations of the US to the people of the Republic.
Rubio pointed out that the US-Cyprus partnership continues to grow stronger each year and that the defence and energy cooperation has advanced regional security.
''We are proud of the progress we have made together on commercial and economic ties that benefit both our nations,'',he noted.
The US Secretary of State also noted that this year, the two countries deepened their educational ties through a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, ''reflecting our close collaboration and shared interest in promoting American English and educational exchange as a gateway to expanding business opportunities''.
''The United States remains steadfast in its support for a Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated settlement (of the Cyprus issue) that reunifies the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, consistent with United Nations Security Council resolutions'', Rubio added.
He concluded by noting that as Cyprus marks this milestone, ''the United States looks forward to building on the achievements of the past year and deepening our partnership in the years ahead''.
