US announces partial lifting of arms embargo on Cyprus

The US has decided to end a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus, according to reports Tuesday which said the decision, which concerns non-lethal equipment, was announced over a call by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.

Speaking during a press briefing with Greek journalists, US officials reportedly said that the lifting of the ban will be effective for a year and could be extended after that.

According to the same reports, the officials said that the decision is not related to recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, nor does it signal a change in Washington’s foreign policy on the Cyprus issue.

I welcome the lifting of the #US arms embargo on non-lethal defense articles. A positive development which reinforces further the bilateral security relationship between #Cyprus and the #UnitedStates.

— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) September 1, 2020