The president of Cyprus has said his administration is committed to expanding defense and security cooperation with the US, as his meeting with US President Joe Biden last week charted the course for the "next ambitious steps" in bilateral relations which are currently at a "historic high". , reports Kathimerini. 

Nikos Christodoulides says his government's "clear foreign policy orientation" has resulted in a deepening of the Cyprus-US strategic partnership in the first 18 months of his five-year term in areas including law enforcement cooperation to combat money laundering and sanctions evasion, as well as energy .

Central to that security cooperation is the US-funded port and maritime security center, known by its acronym CYCLOPS, where officials from neighboring countries including Libya, Yemen and Lebanon receive key training ranging from cyber security to ship inspections .

Christodoulides said his visit to the White House on October 30 "is proof and recognition of Cyprus' geostrategic role and the country's potential and capabilities."

"Cyprus can be a safe 'port of stability' and at the same time a country that has the vision to transform its immediate region, together with its partners, into a region of promise, stability, cooperation and prosperity," Christodoulides said in an email. response to an Associated Press questionnaire.

The Cypriot president said his administration is "certainly considering" acquiring US-made weapons after the decade-long arms embargo is lifted in 2020. But what must precede such purchases is for the US Congress to lift its embargo for a longer period. Currently, it is renewed every year.

Christodoulides said Cyprus' geostrategic role is highlighted by the fact that since September 27, some 3.635 third-country nationals from 29 countries have been repatriated through the island nation following their evacuation from Lebanon. He said several countries consider Cyprus an "assisted departure center and temporary safe location (TSL)" where ports, airports and designated temporary accommodation on the island are used for civilian or military take-offs. He did not specify those countries.

He said Cyprus is ready to respond if and when a mass evacuation from Lebanon begins.

Another key initiative for which Cyprus has received international praise and was pointed out by Biden is the so-called Amalthea plan which established the Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor through which some 20.000 metric tons of aid flowed into the Palestinian territory earlier this year. .

Most of that aid has reached Gaza through a $230 million US-built temporary port project that has lasted about four months after being plagued by turbulent weather, security threats and severe staffing constraints.

Christodoulides said that work is being done in cooperation with the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, to reactivate the sea route to Gaza through the Israeli port of Ashdod. The collected aid will be security checked in Cyprus and sent to Ashdod "for rapid future delivery to Gaza".

"We maintain excellent, long-standing relations with our neighboring countries, underpinned by trust, and we constantly act as the voice of the region in the European Union and as a reliable interlocutor and partner with all countries of the region," Christodoulides said.

On his decision to invite FBI and US Department of Justice officials to help Cypriot law enforcement stop the evasion of Russian sanctions through Cypriot lawyers and accountants, Christodoulides said: "We are strongly determined to clear the name of our country at the international level and to prove that Cyprus is a country fully compliant with the principles and values ​​of the West".

He said "several cases" of possible sanctions evasion are under investigation "and the goal is to bring them to justice as quickly as possible."

Regarding energy cooperation, Christodoulides said the fact that both US energy giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron are active in the search for hydrocarbons in Cyprus's offshore economic zone is a "vote of confidence" for the island nation.

He said next year would be a "turning point" for the two energy companies. ExxonMobil and partner QatarEnergy, which have discovered significant natural gas deposits in one of the two areas, or blocks for which they hold exploration licenses, are due to drill two additional wells in January next year.

Chevron is expected to finalize a revised development plan for its Aphrodite gas field, which is estimated to contain about 4,2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

"As the first gas from Aphrodite is directed to the market, this automatically makes Cyprus a seller of gas, which is extremely important not only in monetary terms, but also for geopolitical reasons," Christodoulides said.