Cyprus is discussing the possibility of joining NATO with the US

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides presented his strategic vision as well as the theoretical and practical aspects of Cyprusʼ potential future NATO integration during his recent meeting with the US President Joe Biden.

This is reported by Kathimerini with reference to exclusive information.

The Cyprus proposal, which consists of interdependent phases, has already received a positive response from the United States. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called it a "win-win," highlighting the significant upside potential for such a scenario.

The publication notes that this is not the first conversation about Cyprus joining NATO, but now it is a "politically mature initiative."

The President of Cyprus also discussed this plan with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Bucharest during the European Political Community Summit.

The key point of the plan is the institutionalization of Cyprusʼ relations with NATO, which is a stepping stone to full membership in the Alliance. However, the move is subject to a number of preconditions, including progress on the Cyprus issue and improved EU-Turkey relations. Positive results in these areas could open up significant advantages for Turkey, such as access to European organizations and resources, a prospect currently hindered by Cyprusʼ veto. The success of this initiative will require multi-level international cooperation, which the Republic of Cyprus is ready to support.

In addition to diplomatic ones, Cyprus presented the US with three strategic requests to get closer to NATO. First, Cyprus seeks to turn the exemption from the US arms embargo, which is renewed every year, into a long-term agreement lasting at least three to five years. Current US President Joe Biden has promised to consult with Congress on considering this "reasonable" request. An amendment on this issue may be included in the US National Defense Budget (NDAA) before the end of the year.

Cyprus is also asking for an increase in the number of seats for training National Guard officers at US military academies — there, this proposal has been favourably received, seeing it as a mutually beneficial development.

In addition to these points, Cyprus is counting on help from the United States to modernize its military potential to meet NATO standards.

The country already has significant infrastructure, including ports, airports, and military facilities, which are now served by the US military. These assets have impressed the US — they are considered ʼvital to the long-term regional strategyʼ," Kathimerini writes.

The US is interested in Andreas Papandreouʼs base in Paphos. However, there are spatial limitations due to existing foreign dislocations there. To solve this problem, Cyprus is ready to apply for financial assistance from the US to expand the base — then it will meet the US standards and be able to host American personnel on a permanent basis.

A delegation of American senators, who have influence in the most important committees of the Congress, assessed the facility as having "great strategic importance."

The growing role of Cyprus in the US strategy is also reflected in the discussions of the President of Cyprus with key figures of the Republican majority in Congress after the election victory of Donald Trump.

One senator called Cyprus "a country we can rely on to achieve what we want in the region". And Trumpʼs candidate for the position of the next Secretary of State Marco Rubio deeply understands geopolitical dynamics and plans to strengthen cooperation with the tripartite partnership of Israel, Greece and Cyprus, writes Kathimerini.

Geopolitical situation around Cyprus

Cyprus is now divided into north and south where Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots live respectively. This followed Turkeyʼs 1974 invasion in response to a Greek-backed coup on the island.

Turkey does not recognize the authority of Cyprus over the entire island, so the countries tried to find a compromise. The last attempt to settle the conflict was in 2017, but the negotiations reached an impasse.

At the same time, the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the European Union, and its authority over the island has been recognized at the international level.

In February 2023, the former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides became the new president of Cyprus. He set himself the goal of getting out of the deadlock in the negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus with the annexed Turkish part of the island.

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