Cyprus is committed to expanding defense ties with the US, says its president

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- The president of Cyprus said Sunday his management is committed to expanding defense and information practice pinch nan U.S., arsenic his gathering pinch American President Joe Biden past week charted a people for nan “next eager steps” successful bilateral relations that are presently astatine a “historic high.”

President Nikos Christodoulides says his government's “clear overseas argumentation orientation” has resulted successful deepening nan Cyprus-U.S. strategical business complete nan first 18 months of his five-year word successful fields including rule enforcement practice connected countering money laundering and sanctions evasion, arsenic good arsenic energy.

A centerpiece of that information practice is nan U.S.-funded halfway for larboard and maritime information known by its acronym CYCLOPS wherever officials from neighboring countries including Libya, Yemen and Lebanon, person cardinal training ranging from cybersecurity to vessel inspections.

Christodoulides said his Oct. 30 sojourn to nan White House “is impervious and nickname of nan geostrategic domiciled of Cyprus and nan country’s imaginable and capabilities.”

“Cyprus tin beryllium a reliable ‘port of stability’ and astatine nan aforesaid clip a state that has a imagination to toggle shape its contiguous region, alongside its partners, into a region of promise, stability, practice and prosperity," Christodoulides said successful an email consequence to an Associated Press questionnaire.

The Cypriot president said his management is “certainly considering” procuring U.S.-made weapons pursuing nan 2020 lifting of a decades-long arms embargo. But what must precede specified purchases is for nan U.S. Congress to assistance its embargo for an extended period. Currently, that is renewed annually.

Christodoulides said Cyprus’ geostrategic domiciled is highlighted by nan truth that since Sept. 27, immoderate 3,635 third-country nationals from 29 countries person been repatriated done nan land federation pursuing their removal from Lebanon. He said respective countries see Cyprus an “assisted departure hub and a Temporary Safe Location (TSL)” wherever nan island’s ports, airports and designated impermanent accommodations are utilized for civilian aliases military-led departures. He did not specify those countries.

He said Cyprus is fresh to respond if and erstwhile a wide removal from Lebanon is group successful motion.

Another cardinal inaugural for which Cyprus has gained world plaudits and was singled retired by Biden is nan alleged Amalthea scheme that saw nan constitution of nan Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor done which immoderate 20,000 metric tons of assistance flowed into nan Palestinian territory earlier this year.

Most of that assistance reached Gaza done a U.S.-built, $230 cardinal impermanent pier task that lasted astir 4 months aft being beset by turbulent weather, information threats and sweeping unit restrictions.

Christodoulides said activity is underway successful practice pinch nan U.S. nan U.K. nan United Arab Emirates and nan European Union, to re-activate nan maritime way to Gaza done nan Israeli larboard of Ashdod. Collected assistance will beryllium security-screened successful Cyprus and shipped to Ashdod “for swift onward transportation to Gaza.”

“We support excellent, longstanding relations pinch our neighboring countries, underpinned by trust, and we person consistently acted arsenic nan region’s sound successful nan European Union, and arsenic a reliable interlocutor and partner pinch each nan states of nan region,” Christodoulides said.

On his determination to induce FBI and U.S. Department of Justice officials to thief Cypriot rule enforcement to halt Russian sanctions evasion done Cypriot lawyers and accountants, Christodoulides said, “we are powerfully wished to clear our country’s sanction internationally and beryllium that Cyprus is simply a authorities afloat aligned pinch nan principles and values of nan West.”

He said “several cases” of imaginable sanctions evasion are nether investigation“ and nan purpose is to bring them to justness arsenic quickly arsenic possible.”

Regarding power cooperation, Christodoulides said nan truth that some U.S. power giants ExxonMobil and Chevron are progressive successful nan hunt for hydrocarbons successful Cyprus’ offshore economical area is “a ballot of confidence” successful nan land nation.

He said adjacent twelvemonth will beryllium a “milestone” for some power companies. ExxonMobil and partner QatarEnergy, which discovered a sizeable earthy state deposit successful 1 of 2 areas, aliases blocks, they clasp exploration licenses for, are scheduled to drill 2 further wells successful January of adjacent year.

Chevron is expected to complete fine-tuning a revised improvement scheme for its Aphrodite state field, estimated to clasp astir 4.2 trillion cubic feet of earthy gas.

“As nan first state from nan Aphrodite is directed to nan market, this automatically makes Cyprus a state seller, which is highly important not only successful monetary position but besides for geopolitical reasons,” said Christodoulides.