US State Department spokesman acknowledges significant progress made in bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries
“We look forward to continuing to deepen our bilateral relations (with the Republic of Cyprus) as we promote regional stability,” he said. State Department on the prospect of complete lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus.
Answering a question of about whether the Washington intends to take the next step to help the Republic of Cyprus strengthen its defense interoperability with the US and the EU, the US State Department spokesman acknowledged significant progress achieved in bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries.
As he characteristically noted, “the Republic of Cyprus is an important partner and our relationship in the field of security has deepened after the signing of the Declaration of Intent for bilateral cooperation in the field of security in 2018”.
It is recalled that the United States decided in 2020 to proceed with the temporary and partial lifting of the arms embargo (ITAR), which would be valid for one year – with the possibility of renewal – and was related to “non lethal” systems. State Department officials had noted at the time that the United States will approach this topic step by step – step, emphasizing that this decision is not linked to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean nor does it signal a change of attitude in the Cyprus issue.
