President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides addressed the United Nations climate change conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 12. REUTERS

Cyprus is actively pursuing membership in NATO and is currently in discussions with the United States to fulfill the necessary requirements for joining the military alliance, President Nikos Christodoulides announced on Thursday. Christodoulides outlined that the ongoing talks are focused on "how the Republic of Cyprus can capitalize on these opportunities so that, once all conditions are satisfied, Cyprus can become a NATO member state."

NATO member Turkey remains opposed to Cyprus's potential membership, as it does not recognize the government in the island's Greek-speaking south. The island has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion of the north in response to a Greek-backed coup. Over 30,000 Turkish troops continue to be stationed on the island.

Christodoulides noted that Turkey's position hinders the Cyprus National Guard from upgrading or acquiring military equipment that meets NATO standards. "To ensure the National Guard does not miss out on these opportunities, we are engaging in discussions with the United States," Christodoulides stated, further adding, "I am encouraged by the positive response." He emphasized, "This approach will enable the Republic of Cyprus to become a NATO member state once all prerequisites are met."

He highlighted that Cyprus, a European Union member since 2004, holds a "comparative advantage" due to its strategic location near the Middle East and its strong relations with Israel and Lebanon. The president revealed that both Brussels and Washington are in the process of upgrading the island's air and naval base infrastructure to meet NATO standards.

"Within this context, we are conducting advanced consultations with the EU regarding the naval base and with the US concerning the air base. This is being pursued with a very specific focus," he explained. Christodoulides hinted at "significant advancements" in the areas of defense and security.

When questioned about the timeline for Cyprus's NATO application, he responded: "The less we discuss this matter, the closer we are to achieving our goal." Traditionally, Cyprus has maintained a neutral stance and opposed NATO membership, fearing it would antagonize Russia. However, recent closer ties with Washington and the Ukraine conflict have led to a political shift towards the United States.

Efforts to reunify Cyprus through decades of UN-backed negotiations have been unsuccessful, with the last round held in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ending in failure in 2017.

Source link:   https://www.khaleejtimes.com