After NATO’s northern expansion, will there now be a southern expansion of the military alliance? According to a newspaper report, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides presented his US counterpart Joe Biden with a plan for the Mediterranean country to move closer to the alliance during their recent meeting in Washington.
According to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, it is a detailed, well-thought-out long-term plan, consisting of several interdependent phases, which has already been accepted by Washington. Significantly, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called the plan a “win-win situation,” adding that “the potential of such a development would be enormous.”
“Permanent American presence” planned on the island
The first phase is the deepening or institutionalization of relations with NATO. This should go hand in hand with modernizing the Cypriot military with US help and also with the development of a common training infrastructure. There is also talk of establishing a “permanent American presence” on the island.
However, before the plans can be put into practice, a series of events must precede them: the starting point would be positive developments in the Cyprus issue and progress in Euro-Turkish affairs.
The divided island
The island of Cyprus has been de facto divided since 1974. To the north lies the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. However, the entire island has been a member of the EU as the Republic of Cyprus since 2004. However, EU law is only applied in the southern part.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
