President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and the government welcomed the State Department’s announcement that the US would completely lift the arms embargo on Cyprus, imposed in 1987.
In a post in his Twitter account, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, wrote that it is with great satisfaction that he welcomes the announcement by the State Department on the complete lifting of the US arms embargo on Cyprus. “This is a landmark decision, reflecting the burgeoning strategic relationship between the two countries, including in the area of security”, he noted.
Additionally, he publicly thanked Senator Bob Menendez, for all his work making possible this decision, which is in accord with his East Med Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019, the President said, adding that “yesterday I spoke to the Senator and once again expressed my gratitude for his friendship.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on Twitter that “we welcome the decision by US State Department to proceed with the full lifting of 1987 Arms Embargo against Cyprus”. They called it a “political milestone that illustrates the continuous deepening of USA – Cyprus strategic partnership in security and defence, “as an integral part of regional stability mosaic”.
The Cyprus Ministry of Defence, on its Twitter account, noted that following State Department’s decision for the total lifting of ITAR restrictions “we express our thanks and appreciation”. They added that this strengthens “our cooperation and ushers a new era in our bilateral relations, as we are steadfastly promoting an irreversible security and defence partnership”.
Source: Cyprus News Agency