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The US Edges Closer To Lifting Arms Embargo on Cyprus

The United States is even closer to lifting the arms embargo it imposed on Cyprus in 1987, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez said on Tuesday afternoon.

Senator Menendez made the important announcement, which is a reflection of the excellent relations between the two countries, after a meeting he had with Cyprus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides in Washington.

During his three-day visit to the US, Christodoulides discussed matters including the arms embargo against Cyprus, security and energy matters and the divided Cyprus problem.

Menendez, who is a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his view that “we are getting ever closer” to lifting the US arms embargo against Cyprus.

In statements after the meeting, Menendez noted that the United States is ”really enthused about the role Cyprus is continuously taking in exercising leadership in the region.”

”We are very optimistic about the exploration that is going on and the ability of Cyprus to play a major role in terms of energy and energy security, not just for the region, but potentially for Europe,” the Democratic Senator stated.

Senator Menedez’ Cyprus announcement was foreshadowed by a statement made on Monday during a panel discussion at the AIPAC (American Israeli Political Action Committee) Policy Conference by Endy Zemenides.

The executive director of the Greek-American Policy group HALC announced that this week, Senator Menendez and Congressman Ted Deutch would introduce ”a very aggressive piece of legislation on the Eastern Mediterranean that is very pro-Israel, pro-Greece and pro-Cyprus.”

The 1987 arms embargo was designed to restrict United States arms sales and transfers to both the Republic of Cyprus and the occupied part of Cyprus in an effort to avoid hindering reunification efforts.

With information from CNA

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