"US Military Sales Decision ‘Historic’ for Cyprus" says Christodoulides

“It reflects the results of the clear policy and orientation of our government, which brings substantial benefits in the fields of policy, diplomacy and defence,” he said.

He added that the matter had been discussed during his meeting with outgoing US President Joe Biden in October, and that the decision “marks another historic milestone in bilateral relations between Cyprus and the US”.

“At the same time, it is a clear recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as a critical pillar of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the potential to further contribute to pace and the management of humanitarian challenges,” he said.

He went on to say that the decision constitutes an “undoubtedly decisive development” which “confirms Cyprus’ value in the broader geopolitical chessboard and sends strong messages for the deepening of the strategic cooperation between Cyprus and the US”.

The move was also welcomed by US ambassador in Nicosia Julie Davis Fisher, who said it “marks an important step in deepening the relationship between the US and Cyprus, enhancing security cooperation, and promoting stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.

Biden had issued a Presidential determination on Wednesday night which incorporated the Republic of Cyprus into three programmes run by the US department of defence.

Those are the US defence security cooperation agency’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme, its excess defence articles (EDA) programme, and programmes to allocate resources under the US’ ‘Title 10’ security assistance provisions.

It is the inclusion into the FMS programme which will allow the government to purchase military hardware directly from the US government, with the country previously having only been able to buy US military hardware from private companies.

Being able to circumvent private companies will allow the government to buy weapons and other hardware at cheaper prices than before, given that the US government typically acquires its apparatus in bulk, and is thus able to sell it on for cheaper prices than what private companies would offer to a military of the National Guard’s size.

The EDA programme allows for “friendly foreign countries” to acquire military equipment from the US that the country has deemed “excess”, and, according to the US defence security cooperation agency is typically used to modernise the armed forces of the US’ international partners.

The items are typically offered by the US at a reduced price, depending on the condition of the equipment at the time of sale, with the Cyprus Mail understanding that on some occasions, the equipment is even offered free of charge.

Wednesday night’s decision has no relation to the US arms embargo placed on the Republic of Cyprus, although this is currently waived on an annual basis.

The US placed an embargo on arms being transported to Cyprus in 1987 hoping such a move would coerce the island’s population into solving the Cyprus problem.

The embargo was then lifted with conditions in 2022 under the East Med Security and Energy Partnership Act, which hinges on the US president of the day certifying each year that Cyprus continues to meet a list of requirements outlined in the act.

Those conditions relate to whether the Cypriot government is cooperating with the US on matters such as anti-money laundering regulations and financial regulatory oversight, as well as Cyprus denying Russian military vessels access to its ports for refuelling and servicing.

Source: Cyprus Mail