Cyprus and the United States signed a framework agreement on defense cooperation that outlines ways in which both countries can strengthen their response to regional humanitarian crises and security concerns, including in a result of climate change, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Cypriot Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas and US Under Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander hailed the agreement today as a milestone in growing Cypriot-US ties in recent years leading to the lifting in 2022 of the decade-old an American arms embargo imposed on the Mediterranean country.
"The Republic of Cyprus is a strong partner of the United States in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and plays a key role on the border between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East," Wallander pointed out after the talks with Palmas.
The US official praised Cyprus for acting as a safe haven for US civilians evacuated from Sudan and Israel last year, and for its key role in establishing a sea corridor to Gaza through which to the Palestinian territory more than 20 million kilograms of humanitarian aid have been sent.
Palmas, for his part, said that Cyprus will continue to move towards "closer, stronger and fruitful bilateral defense cooperation with the United States".
According to the joint statement, the agreement also provides for joint work to address "malicious acts” and strengthening ways for the Cypriot military to better interact with US forces.