"We look forward to continuing to deepen our bilateral relationship [WITH THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS] as we promote regional stability," the State Department noted regarding the prospect of proceeding with the full lifting of the embargo on arms sales to Cyprus.
Responding to a question from APR-MPA on whether Washington intends to take the next step to help the Republic of Cyprus strengthen its defence interoperability with the US and the EU, the US State Department spokesman acknowledged the significant progress that has been made in bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.
As he noted, "the Republic of Cyprus is an important partner and our relationship in security has deepened since the signing of the Statement of Intent on bilateral security cooperation in 2018."
Recall that the US decided in 2020 to proceed with the temporary and partial lifting of the arms embargo (ITAR), which would be in force for one year with the possibility of renewal and related to "non-lethal" systems. State Department officials had noted at the time that the US would approach this issue step by step, stressing that this decision is not linked to developments in the Eastern Mediterranean nor does it signal a change of stance on the Cyprus issue.
Source: APE-MPA
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