Inaugurating CyCLOPS Casoulides-Nouland[/QUOTE]
Sending messages for the excellent, deeply established and continuously developing, in the context of an irreversible process, Cyprus-US partnership, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, and Secretary of State, Ioannis Kasoulides, inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon the Cyprus Land, Sea and Port Security Training Center CyCLOPS, established and operating in Larnaca, as part of the Cyprus-U.S. bilateral cooperation.
At the same time, Mr. Kasoulides underlined the fact that an effective security architecture cannot be established in the Eastern Mediterranean without a viable and workable solution to the Cyprus issue, noting that the long-term Confidence Building Measures, which have recently been reintroduced for discussion, can provide the impetus for an inclusive, results-oriented process leading to a resumption of negotiations on the basis of the basis adopted by the Security Council.
In her remarks at the opening ceremony, Ms. Nuland described the Centre as impressive, noting that it supports peace, security and prosperity throughout the region. On behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken and our entire Cabinet, it gives us great pleasure to cut the ribbon on this symbol of our growing and strengthened bilateral security partnership, which, as Secretary of State Kasoulides has said, is irreversible, she said.
He noted that CyCLOPS began as a concept, a place where the US and Cyprus could work together to promote regional protection and security, providing training and assistance in border security, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity, maritime security and more.
The U.S. official said the ribbon cutting today symbolizes our expanding relationship including cooperation in security, trade and investment, and regional cooperation.
But it is much more than that, it is a reflection of the shared values and principles that underpin this partnership, she added.
She noted that the values of democracy, security, respect for human rights and the rule of law, stressing that as Mr. Kasoulides has made absolutely clear, all these values are under pressure and under threat not far from here as a result of Russia's violent attack on Ukraine.
We are all in this context extremely proud to stand together with Cyprus in solidarity with Ukraine, in support of Ukraine and its territorial integrity, sovereignty, peace and security, he added.
He added that this centre is for peace, it is for the Aegean, it is for the Eastern Mediterranean, it is for a region that is a region of peace and security and we are working hard with our partners to restore that, to build on it, to develop it.
He also said that Cyprus and the US want to share this vision of a prosperous and peaceful Mediterranean with other partners in the region, and want them to join them in capacity building, knowledge sharing and joint learning.
He pointed out that although today is the official inauguration of the centre, it is already operational and just last week the US hosted some workshops on sanctions and illicit finance. She added that recently the UK in Cyprus participated in presenting training on disinformation, which is very important to address, especially in the current environment. Nuland also said that the training programme is already complete, and that there will be courses on, among others, the application of maritime law, the management of false documents and smuggling.
CyCLOPS represents the strength of our relationship, the strength of our shared values, she said, thanking those who attended the inauguration.
For his part, Mr. Kasoulides said Ms. Nuland's visit to Cyprus comes at a critical moment, as the rules and standards of the international system are being severely tested by an ongoing war that is illegal and unjustified.
She added that it is imperative that Russia now ends its invasion of Ukraine and withdraws its forces.
Violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state must always be unequivocally and unreservedly condemned. This is the most fundamental principle of a rules-based international order, he said.
The Foreign Minister said that the recent momentous upgrade of bilateral relations between Cyprus and the United States echoes then Vice President Biden's 2014 assessment of them as a genuine strategic partnership.
Over the past eight years, we have seen the transformation of this partnership through tangible actions, particularly in our security cooperation. We strongly believe that this is an irreversible process, with further, great momentum, he said.
He said this ever-expanding relationship clearly enjoys strong bipartisan support in Washington, as evidenced by the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019, passed by Congress.
In both security and energy, emerging synergies between us can have a catalytic effect on resolving a range of outstanding issues. Combined with the positive agenda on which our trilateral mechanisms with like-minded regional partners are based, we can look to the future of the region with optimism, he noted.
Referring to CyCLOPS, Kasoulides said it is a state-of-the-art centre that is the culmination of the two countries' cooperation in their security cooperation.
The Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for the valuable involvement of the US Government in the establishment of the centre, noting that our ambition is for the CyCLOPS training centre in Larnaca to become a regional centre of excellence for specialised training in all security-related fields.
He also said that at a time when the international system is experiencing tectonic changes, it is up to all of us to intensify our efforts to achieve the goal of a stable and secure environment.
He further pointed out that here in the Eastern Mediterranean, an effective security architecture cannot be established without a viable and workable solution to the Cyprus issue. The far-reaching Confidence Building Measures that have recently been reintroduced for discussion can provide the impetus for an inclusive, results-oriented process leading to a resumption of negotiations on the basis adopted by the Security Council, he added.
A solution, among other things, he said, would further assist the regional security role we are already playing, in close cooperation both within the EU family and with our neighbours and friends in the Middle East.
It is, however, the cooperation that is blossoming with your country, the United States, which is fast becoming the game changer in our common quest for regional stability, security and prosperity under win-win conditions, he said.
She concluded by stressing that we are committed to this and look forward to further deepening and broadening our relationship.
Ms. Nuland and Mr. Kasoulides also unveiled a commemorative plaque and signed the guest book located at the entrance of the center.
Present at the event were, among others, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of the General Staff, the Director General of the Ministry of Transport, the Prefect of Larnaca, the Deputy Mayor of Larnaca, the Deputy Chief of Police, Larnaca MPs, the Director of Larnaca Port, city councillors and representatives of the Police and the National Guard.
This was followed by bilateral talks between the MFA and Ms. Nuland.
Source: Cyprus Times
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