US welcomes Christodoulides investment mission as Cyprus targets new partnerships

The United States has welcomed President Nikos Christodoulides’ upcoming investment mission to New York and Boston, describing bilateral relations as being at an all-time high and highlighting growing opportunities for American companies in Cyprus. Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, US embassy spokesperson Kahina Robinson said the embassy was working closely with the Presidency and Cypriot partners to advance investment opportunities ahead of the visit later this month. “We welcome President Christodoulides’s upcoming business and investment mission to the United States. Missions like this bring American and Cypriot companies together, and that’s good for both our countries,” Robinson said. “US-Cyprus relations are at an all-time high, and our economic ties are growing too. When American companies invest in Cyprus, they create jobs and opportunities in both countries.” She stressed that security and economic cooperation were closely connected, saying that “strong security cooperation and strong commercial ties go hand in hand, because security makes investment possible”. The president’s visit will combine new business contacts with follow-up meetings from his April 2025 US mission, with discussions focusing on technology, financial services, biotechnology and higher education. Boston was selected partly because of its active Cypriot diaspora, particularly professionals involved in science, technology and innovation. An event will be organised with Cyprus Catalyst (CyCatalyst) in Boston, following a roundtable held with Cypriot scientists and entrepreneurs that took place in San Francisco during Christodoulides’ previous visit. The discussions will explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation in biotechnology and higher education. In New York, Christodoulides will participate in a Financial Times conference focusing on financial services, fintech and technology, with bilateral meetings with companies also planned on the sidelines. The programme will include a Minds in Cyprus event, aimed at encouraging Cypriots working abroad to return while also reconnecting them with the island’s business and research communities. The government wants these contacts to develop into professional partnerships, allowing Cypriots abroad to contribute their expertise and open doors in the sectors and international networks in which they operate. Robinson highlighted the importance of the diaspora in strengthening economic ties. “Prosperity starts with people. Cypriots who have studied and worked in America are some of the strongest bridges between our two countries,” she said. “Efforts like President Christodoulides’s outreach to Cypriot professionals in the United States help turn those ties into investment, jobs, and new ideas back home.” The New York programme is also expected to include an announcement concerning cooperation with Columbia University. Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki and Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou are among the officials confirmed to accompany Christodoulides. The visit follows his April 2025 investment mission to the United States, which included meetings with major technology companies and investors in Silicon Valley. Robinson pointed to the progress made since then, particularly the establishment of a presence in Cyprus by international innovation network Plug and Play. “Plug and Play shows what these partnerships can deliver. The Silicon Valley innovation platform launched its Cyprus accelerator programme in Limassol in April 2026. Its first group of 10 Cypriot startups graduates next week. That’s a concrete result, and we’re proud to see it,” she said. She also identified American AI chip company Tenstorrent as another business recognising the potential of Cyprus’ technology sector. “American companies see real opportunity in Cyprus. Companies such as Plug and Play and Tenstorrent, for example, see the promise of Cyprus’ growing tech sector.” The previous US visit also resulted in cooperation with Nvidia, which helped upgrade the Cyprus Institute’s supercomputing infrastructure, launched in June. A follow up to this during the visit is expected with the government hoping such partnerships will encourage more American technology companies to establish a presence on the island. Christodoulides said earlier this week that the contacts established in San Francisco had led to the creation of Cyprus Catalyst, describing the initiative as a means of connecting Cypriot entrepreneurship with the American technology ecosystem. He confirmed that he would return to the US at the end of November to strengthen partnerships and pursue new opportunities. Speaking on Monday at the Association of Large Investment Projects’ annual general meeting, he said the government was seeing particularly increased investment interest from American companies. However, Robinson also emphasised the importance of reducing bureaucracy and maintaining a predictable investment environment. “When the investment environment is open, predictable, and free of unnecessary red tape, American companies show up. Plug and Play is proof,” she said. She welcomed Cyprus’ efforts to place EU regulatory simplification on the agenda during its EU Council presidency, adding that “the US looked forward to building on that cooperation so more American companies would choose Cyprus”. The forthcoming mission will provide an opportunity to assess how far the government’s contacts with American businesses can translate into further investment, research partnerships and opportunities for Cypriot professionals.