Nicosia on Thursday welcomed an amendment to the US Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA) that makes Cyprus’ National Guard eligible to participate in multilateral military exercises through 2027.
Describing the decision as a “strategic milestone” in a post on X, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said it underscores “the increased geopolitical and military importance the United States attaches to the Republic of Cyprus.”
“With the inclusion of Cyprus in the list of states that meet the criteria for participation in multilateral military training programs under the auspices of the US, along with countries in Eastern Europe, Cyprus will become the only non-NATO and Partnership for Peace (CPE) state to be included in this list of countries,” he added.
Wednesday’s decision came after Cyprus and the US signed a bilateral defense cooperation roadmap in September and following Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides’ trip to Washington in October, where he met with his outgoing US counterpart, Joe Biden.
The inclusion of the amendment in the final text of the NDAA Act 2025, with bipartisan support, “is part of the broader context of the broadening and deepening of the Cyprus-US strategic cooperation, which is now also being strengthened at the legislative level,” Letymbiotis said.
