NICOSIA, Cyprus — (AP) — Bolstering Cyprus ' defense capacity is critical for the east Mediterranean island nation so close to the war-wrecked Middle East, the country's defense minister said Tuesday.
The priority for Cyprus is to procure better defense systems, said Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas. The minister, who spoke to The Associated Press in the nation's capital of Nicosia, outlined some defense plans though he would not go into specifics about arms procurement programs.
“The situation in the eastern Mediterranean, with its continuous shifting geostrategic balances and competing interests makes it even more pressing for the island to bolster its defensive capabilities,” Palmas said.
Meanwhile, a senior government official confirmed to the AP that Cyprus recently received a part of the Israeli-made Barak MX integrated air defense system.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said he expects the delivery of the rest of the system soon, with the whole system becoming fully operational in mid-2025.
The Israeli ground-based system is capable of simultaneously intercepting missiles, drones and aircraft from as far as 93 miles (150 kilometers) away, and represents a significant upgrade to Cyprus' defense shield, which had until recently only consisted of Soviet-era weapons, such as the BUK M1-2 missile system.
Cyprus in recent years pivoted away from Russian weapons systems as part of a broader, pro-Western strategy to bring the small nation's armed forces up to EU and NATO standards. The Cypriot president, Nikos Christodoulides, said earlier this month that Cyprus could apply to join NATO with U.S. help, once conditions allow for it.
Palmas said closer diplomatic and military ties with the United States have enabled Cyprus to leverage its geographic location as the closest European Union member to the Mideast to expand its diplomatic outreach in regional peace efforts and help in providing humanitarian assistance.
Earlier this year, some 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid was shipped directly to Gaza via a maritime corridor from Cyprus. That effort halted as fighting intensified but efforts are underway to reestablish the supply route, this time via the Israeli port of Ashdod.
The closer ties with the U.S. in recent years culminated in the lifting of a decades-old arms embargo Washington imposed on ethnically divided Cyprus to prevent an arms race.
Cyprus’ split came in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup on the island aiming at uniting it with Greece. Turkey continues to maintain more than 35,000 troops in the island’s breakaway, Turkish Cypriot north.
Following the lifting of the U.S. arms embargo, Cyprus’ elite underwater demolition teams have reportedly been recently supplied with modern, U.S.-made M5 carbines — rifles more suited for special warfare teams.
Palmas also told the AP that work is underway to enlarge Cyprus' air base in the island’s southwest, including a longer runway.
A major upgrade is also in the pipeline, he said, for the Mari naval base on the southern coast, also significantly expanding its facilities to accommodate warships and submarines of allied and friendly countries.