Foreign Minister Dr Constantine Combos paid a joint visit with US Ambassador to Cyprus Ms Julie Fisher to the Cyprus Centre for Land, Open-Seas and Port Security (CYCLOPS) in Larnaca.
During their visit, which took place yesterday afternoon, the Foreign Minister and the US Ambassador were briefed on the operation and activities of the Centre, and were given a tour of the facilities by its Director, Mr Chrysilios Chrysilios.
In his statements after the visit, Dr. Combos expressed, among other things, his sincere thanks to the Government of the United States of America for its assistance in setting up the facility. He reported that, since the opening of the Training Centre in April 2022 to date, over 700 people have benefited from the training programmes and seminars, stressing that it is attracting strong interest globally from a multitude of national and international agencies, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
In conclusion, the Foreign Minister referred to the strategic relationship between Cyprus and the US, conveying Cyprus' commitment to further strengthen relations. "CYCLOPS is proof of the upgrading of bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of security and demonstrates that our strategic partnership is tangible and substantial, based on shared values and interests, aiming, inter alia, to ensure a regional, rule-based, stable security architecture," he said.
CYCLOPS is a training centre owned by the Republic of Cyprus, based in Larnaca. The project was implemented in close cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Government, based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2020. Funding for the construction and equipment of the CYCLOPS Training Center was provided by the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program of the US Department of State.
(MF/MG)
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