Senator Bob Menendez has put forth an amendment to the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) aimed at extending the timeframe for renewing the lifting of the arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus.
According to a report by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), Senator Menendez, who serves as the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, argued that the amendment would allow for longer-term planning and better coordination of cooperation between Washington and Nicosia in the field of security, following the complete lifting of the embargo and the fulfilment of all obligations by Cyprus.
Under the current legislation, the American President has designated the US State Department to annually certify that Cyprus continues to meet all the conditions outlined in the East Med Act to warrant the renewal of the arms embargo lifting (annual waiver).
Should this amendment be adopted in the final text, it would mean that the decision to lift the embargo will be subject to renewal every three years, providing a more extended period for strategic planning and security coordination.
“I was proud to see my bipartisan Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act pass into law a few years ago, paving the way for the provision of defence articles vital to bolstering the defence of Cyprus,” said Menendez.
“As Cyprus has met the requirements to receive such defense articles, this amendment will allow for longer-term planning, and ultimately improve security coordination between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus and hopefully other regional allies and partners in the future,” he added.
The arms embargo against Cyprus was imposed in 1987 by the US and lifted in 2022.
