NICOSIA: Cyprus is aiming to join NATO and is in talks with the United States to meet the conditions for entering the military alliance, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday.
Christodoulides said the discussions explored “how the Republic of Cyprus can utilise these opportunities so that, when all conditions are met, Cyprus can become a NATO member state.”
NATO member Turkiye opposes Cyprus’s potential membership, as it does not recognise the government in the island’s Greek-speaking south.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkiye invaded the north in response to a Greek-backed coup. More than 30,000 Turkish troops remain stationed on the island.
Christodoulides said Turkiye’s stance prevents the army from either upgrading or acquiring military equipment that meets NATO standards.
“Because we do not want the National Guard to miss these opportunities, we are discussing with the United States,” Christodoulides said, adding, “I am pleased with the positive response.”
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“This way, when everything is in place, the Republic of Cyprus can become a NATO member state,” he added.
He said Cyprus, a European Union member since 2004, had a “comparative advantage” due to its closeness to the Middle East and good relations with Israel and Lebanon.
The president said Brussels and Washington were already in the process of upgrading the island’s air and naval base infrastructure to NATO standards.
“Within this framework, we are in advanced consultations with the EU for the naval base and with the US for the air base. This is being pursued in a very targeted manner,” he said.
Christodoulides said there would be “significant developments” concerning defence and security,
Asked when Cyprus could apply for NATO membership, he said: “The less we talk about this issue, the closer we are to the goal.”
Traditionally, Cyprus has remained neutral and opposed NATO membership as it would irk Russia. Closer ties with Washington in recent years and the Ukraine war have seen a political shift towards the United States.
Decades of United Nations-backed talks to reunify Cyprus have failed, with the last round held in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana collapsing in 2017.
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