It is a privilege to return to Washington and to stand before you once again.

Allow me first to convey the warm greetings of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, and the appreciation of our Government and people for your commitment to our common cause.

Philip, thank you for your leadership and persistence. Thank you all for reminding us that a nation is strengthened by those who refuse to allow their rights to be forgotten.

Three years ago, during my first official visit to the United States (US) as Government Spokesman, I spoke about the possibilities opening before our country.

Last year, I returned to speak about progress.

Today, I return to speak about proof.

Proof that Cyprus can earn a stronger voice.

Proof that Cyprus can build partnerships that matter.

Proof that Cyprus can turn credibility into influence.

The reach of the Republic of Cyprus has.

And the purpose behind this effort is clear.

We are strengthening every factor of national power: our economy, our defence readiness, our energy position, our alliances, our European role and our resilience as a state.

These are parts of a single national strategy.

A stronger Republic can defend its sovereignty more effectively and pursue its highest national objective with greater confidence: the liberation and reunification of our homeland.

Small states cannot rely on size.

They rely on credibility and strategy.

Here in Washington, we have witnessed a remarkable transformation in the relationship between Cyprus and the US.

The Strategic Dialogue established a permanent framework for cooperation in security, defence, energy, innovation and law enforcement.

The historic visit of President Christodoulides to the White House was a clear and tangible recognition, at the highest level, of the role that Cyprus can play as a trusted partner of the US in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider region.

This role is reinforced as the relationship between Cyprus and the US grows stronger and acquires greater depth. Our cooperation now extends across security and defence, energy, law enforcement, investment, innovation and emerging technologies.

President Christodoulides has actively pursued this broader relationship, with a clear objective: to transform political alignment and mutual trust into practical cooperation and tangible results.

Last year, he led a targeted outreach mission to New York, Texas and Silicon Valley, engaging leading technology and investment companies and presenting Cyprus as a reliable gateway to the European Union (EU) and the wider region.

That outreach is already producing tangible results.

Our cooperation with NVIDIA is upgrading Cyprus’ national high-performance computing and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.

Our partnership with Tenstorrent is opening new opportunities for the development of sovereign Artificial Intelligence capabilities, while Plug and Play is expanding its innovation footprint in Cyprus.

These are practical results of a wider strategy. A strategy that strengthens the economic foundations of our partnership with the US and gives new depth to a relationship built over decades on trust and shared values.

The Cypriot American community has been an integral part of this journey. Its contribution is reflected in the bridges that it continues to build between our two countries, in business, technology, academia and public life.

Cypriots and Cypriot Americans who have excelled in the US, such as John Josephakis and Panos Panay, illustrate the reach of our diaspora and its capacity to create new connections, open new doors and contribute meaningfully to the progress of our country.

This contribution extends far beyond the economic and technological sphere.

For decades, the Cypriot American community has been a steadfast pillar of our efforts. Its strong and credible voices have ensured that the cause of Cyprus remains present in Washington. They have helped the US understand the injustice of occupation, recognise the strategic importance of the Republic of Cyprus and support the continuous strengthening of the relationship between our two countries.

At the political and diplomatic level, this contribution has been decisive. With the Cyprus problem at the forefront, the Cypriot American community has worked tirelessly to preserve and expand the bipartisan support that Cyprus enjoys in Congress.

The bipartisan support that Cyprus enjoys in Congress remains invaluable.

A closer relationship with the US strengthens our security, expands our diplomatic space and reinforces our ability to advance the cause of a free and reunited homeland.

Cyprus assumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU at a defining moment.

Europe is confronting war on its borders, instability in its wider neighbourhood and growing demands for defence readiness.

Our Presidency is guided by a clear vision:

An Autonomous Union. Open to the World.

A stronger Europe must protect its citizens, reduce dangerous dependencies and strengthen its capacity to act.

The events of March offered a powerful reminder. As the conflict in the Middle East escalated, Cyprus requested assistance. European partners responded rapidly.  European solidarity acquired practical meaning.

Our country has also secured access to more than 1.18 billion euros through the SAFE financial instrument.

This is a strategic investment in the defence readiness of the Republic of Cyprus. It strengthens our capacity to modernise our capabilities, protect critical infrastructure and contribute more substantially to European security.

For Cyprus, defence is a national duty: to protect the Republic of Cyprus, safeguard our sovereign rights and ensure that our country is stronger and better prepared in an uncertain region.

A strong economy gives us the means. Defence readiness protects sovereignty. Diplomacy turns credibility into influence.

Our foreign policy has direction.

It is clear in its purpose, consistent in its principles and multidimensional in its reach.

It transforms the position of Cyprus on the map into a platform for cooperation, stability and strategic relevance.

In May, President Christodoulides paid a State Visit to India, elevating our relations to a Strategic Partnership.

Our country can serve as a trusted gateway for India into Europe and as a reliable bridge between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) offers a wider framework for this ambition.

Cyprus can contribute through its ports, its shipping sector, its professional and financial services, its digital infrastructure and its regional relationships. Connectivity carries opportunity, influence and a shared interest in stability.

At the same time, Cyprus still maintains excellent relations with all the states of the region.

We build bridges and provide practical solutions when circumstances demand them.

The “Amalthea” maritime corridor offered a clear example.

“Amalthea” proved that geography, credibility and trusted relationships can be transformed into humanitarian action with the alliances formed.

The same approach guides our relations with the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt, the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Cyprus and Lebanon, the upgraded Strategic Partnership Agreement with France, our closer integration with the Schengen framework and our engagement with Kazakhstan.

From Washington to New Delhi, from Paris and Beirut to Abu Dhabi, Amman and Astana, Cyprus is widening its circle of trust.

Energy forms part of this wider strategy.

As we meet in Washington, Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the US are convening the 3+1 Energy Ministerial.

The presence of major American energy companies, ExxonMobil and Chevron, in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus constitutes a significant vote of confidence in our energy programme, in the prospects of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Eastern Mediterranean can contribute to regional cooperation and European energy security.

A resilient economy sustains every part of this strategy.

In 2025, our economy grew by 3.8 percent.

In the first quarter of 2026, Cyprus recorded growth of 3 percent compared with the same period of the previous year, the strongest performance in the EU and well above the European average.

Unemployment has fallen to levels not recorded for more than a decade. Public debt fell below the 60 percent threshold for the first time since 2009.

After 23 years, Cyprus implemented a comprehensive tax reform, creating a fairer, more modern and more competitive framework for citizens and businesses.

Since March 2023, across 32 assessments by international rating agencies, the progress of the Cypriot economy has been recognised consistently.

Cyprus has returned to the A category of investment grade after 13 years.

Through Minds in Cyprus, our Brain Gain initiative that President Christodoulides introduced in London last year, we are building practical pathways for Cypriot professionals and scientists abroad to reconnect with their homeland and contribute to its future.

The initiative combines access to specialised employment opportunities with practical guidance and targeted tax incentives already in force for those who have returned to Cyprus since 1 January 2025.

It is more than an invitation to return. It is an invitation to participate in the transformation of a modern, outward-looking Cyprus that values its people, invests in knowledge and creates opportunities for the next generation.

Economic progress carries national meaning. It expands our choices, reinforces our resilience and gives the Republic greater capacity to pursue its national objectives.

This is the common thread that connects every part of our strategy.

Together, they strengthen the Republic of Cyprus.

Together, they serve the same overriding objective: to end the occupation and achieve the liberation and reunification of our homeland.

Fifty-two years have passed since the Turkish invasion of 1974.

Fifty-two years of displacement.

Fifty-two years of families waiting for answers about their missing loved ones.

Time does not legalise occupation.

Time does not convert injustice into legitimacy.

Time does not make partition acceptable.

President Christodoulides has placed the Cyprus problem at the top of his political agenda from the first day of his presidency.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) has undertaken a renewed initiative aimed at creating the conditions for substantive negotiations.

We welcome his engagement and support his efforts.

This week, his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Ms María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, is in our country for contacts with President Christodoulides and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Tufan Erhürman.  She will later visit Ankara, Athens and Brussels.

Our objective remains unchanged: the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the UN, from the point where they were suspended at Crans-Montana.

The agreed basis is clear, as defined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

A state with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality.

A functional European state, fully aligned with the principles and the acquis of the EU.

A country free from occupation troops, anachronistic guarantees and external dependencies.

Partition has no place in the future of Cyprus.

Two-state proposals have no basis in international law.

We are committed to diplomacy, dialogue and a solution.

Our determination to negotiate should never be mistaken for an acceptance of injustice.

As President Kennedy once reminded us:

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

To our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, we extend a sincere message.

Our future, our security and our prosperity can be shared.

A reunited Cyprus can become a model for the region: a state where the rule of law prevails and the next generation grows up without checkpoints, barbed wire and occupation troops.

Cyprus today is a country that delivers.

A country with one of the strongest growth performances in the EU.

A country that has returned to the A category of investment grade after 13 years.

A country that brings its talent home.

A country that strengthens its defence readiness and expands its alliances.

A country that connects Europe with its region and turns geography into strategy.

A country that seeks peace because it has lived too long with occupation.

A country that strengthens every factor of national power for one overriding purpose: the liberation and reunification of its homeland.

For decades, you have carried Cyprus in your hearts and in your actions. You have spoken when silence would have been easier. You have kept Cyprus alive in the heart of America.

I belong to a generation that inherited a divided country.

We refuse to pass that inheritance to our children.

We refuse to allow the barbed wire that cuts through our land to cut through our hope.

Keryneia is not a distant memory.

Ammochostos is not a fading photograph.

Morfou is not a forgotten name.

Our occupied villages are not lines in a history book.

They are the promise we owe to those who came before us and the duty we carry toward those who will follow.

Three years ago, I stood before you and spoke about the possibilities before Cyprus.

Today, the evidence is visible.

Cyprus has a wider circle of partners.

Cyprus is strengthening every factor of its national power.

The work continues until the day when this conference can be held in the free streets of Keryneia and Ammochostos.

Until the day when the bells of our occupied churches ring freely again.

Until the day when every Cypriot child can inherit a homeland without occupation, without barbed wire and without foreign troops.

We do not ask history to be kind.

We ask ourselves to be worthy of our history.