The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, announced that his country intends to become a member of NATO and is conducting negotiations with Washington regarding the possibilities of joining the Alliance, reports Focus. /p>
In his speech, he specified that Cyprus is discussing three proposed levels of membership in NATO.
According to Christodoulides, the main problem for his country is that it cannot become a member of NATO due to Turkey's objections, which seriously limits the Cypriot army's ability to modernize and acquire new military equipment.
Geostrategic importance of Cyprus
The President of Cyprus emphasized the importance of the geographical location of the island, which is strategically located in a region of great geopolitical importance. However, Christodoulides said it was better not to publicly discuss the exact steps to apply for NATO membership because that would bring the country closer to achieving its goal.
The Obstacles to NATO: Unresolved Territorial Issues
According to NATO rules, a country that has unresolved territorial issues cannot be accepted into the Alliance. Cyprus controls about 60% of the island, and the rest of it is under the control of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognized by the international community.