Mediterranean nation ready to join NATO 'tomorrow', says cooperation with US not aimed against Russia

On December 30, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed his wish that his country would join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "tomorrow" if possible.

President Nikos Christodoulides (in suit) speaks at the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos in October. (Source: Government of Cyprus/PIO)

In an interview with O Phileleftheros , Mr. Christodoulides said that the reason Cyprus has not been able to join NATO is not because of Turkey, but because another country wants to maintain its comparative advantage on the island.

The country in question is the United Kingdom, which has maintained military bases in Cyprus since the Mediterranean nation gained independence in 1960, the newspaper said.

" This is not a NATO issue. If we could join the alliance tomorrow, we would. Historically, Cyprus should have joined in 1960 ," he asserted.

President Christodoulides admitted that at the moment, Nicosia joining NATO is not possible. Instead, Cyprus is working to maintain its advantage in training, expertise and reorganization, ready to join NATO when conditions allow.

Referring to relations with the United States, the Cypriot leader stressed that strengthening cooperation between the two countries is not aimed at opposing Russia, because the Mediterranean country needs the support of all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, including Russia and China, to resolve the Cyprus dispute.

The government has decided to upgrade both the air base in Paphos and the naval base in Mari, at a total cost of 14.7 million euros ($15.2 million), and has discussed the matter with the United States, he revealed .

According to the leader, the US will provide "technical or financial assistance" for the upgrade, while stressing: " In any case, this base will remain with the Republic of Cyprus, there is no question of handing over the base to any other country.

He also rejected accusations that Cyprus was turning into a “base for the US”, declaring: “We are not a base or anything else.”

Since taking office in 2023, President Christodoulides has supported sanctions against Russia, promoted relations with the US and aspired to join NATO.

In November, he reaffirmed his intention to join NATO as soon as possible, saying that Cyprus is taking every opportunity to upgrade its armed forces to alliance standards and modernize its military bases.

Notably, Cyprus and the US launched a Strategic Dialogue in October 2024 and signed a defense cooperation roadmap for the 2024-2029 period in September.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quoc-gia-dia-trung-hai-san-sang-gia-nhap-nato-ngay-ngay-mai-noi-hop-tac-voi-my-khong-nham-chong-lai-nga-299199.html