in-cyprus 18 January 2025
American officials will visit Cyprus to help plan the upgrade of the Andreas Papandreou Air Base, President Nikos Christodoulides announced today, while also revealing EU interest in utilising a Cypriot naval base.
Speaking at the European People’s Party (EPP) informal congress in Berlin, Christodoulides said the US government had responded positively to the upgrade initiative, marking another step in strengthening Cyprus’s defense capabilities.
The president also disclosed discussions with European Commission President about upgrading Cyprus’s naval base, noting “there is interest from the EU” in using the facility for EU member states’ operations.
Addressing Cyprus’s strategic goals, Christodoulides said the country aims to join the Schengen area by 2025, with technical preparations in their final stages.
The target is to complete this process before Cyprus assumes the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2026.
The announcements come amid broader discussions about Cyprus’s defense cooperation with Western allies, following recent changes in US policy regarding military equipment sales to Cyprus.
During the EPP congress, Christodoulides also secured the inclusion of specific references to Turkish occupation and the need for Cyprus’s reunification in the party’s priority document, based on agreed framework and EU principles.
