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FM, US Ambassador visit CYCLOPS training facility construction site

ΥΠ.ΕΞΩΤΕΡΙΚΩΝ – ΕΠΙΘΕΩΡΗΣΗ ΚΑΤΑΣΚΕΥΑΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΕΡΓΩΝ ΛΑΡΝΑΚΑ

Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and US Ambassador Judith Garber, accompanied by the Mayor of Larnaca Andreas Vyras, visited on Thursday the construction site of the Cyprus Centre for Land, Open-seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS), highlighting the role of the training centre to efforts to establish conditions of security and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The construction of the training facility was envisaged in a Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 2020 by Christodoulides and then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the context of bilateral cooperation between the two states. The ground- breaking ceremony for the training facility was held in January this year.

Speaking to the press, Christodoulides said the training facility will become operational on January 16, 2022. Noting this target is attainable, the Foreign Minister said equipment for the centre amounting to €2 million is expected in the coming period.

Thanking the US and Ambassador Judith Garber personally, Christodoulides said “this cooperation leads to the establishment of a Cypriot-owned regional training centre and is a token of the strengthening of our bilateral relations in issues of security, bilateral relations which are at the highest level than ever before.”

The training centre, he added, “will strengthen our joint aim for the peace and security in the region, through the operation of the centre providing training on issues of military security.”

He also said that there is “strong interest for cooperation and participation in the training facility by EU member states and other regional states either by sending officials and persons for training or to explore collaboration with a view to promoting joint aims.”

On her part, Judith Garber referred to the progress on site since the ground-breaking ceremony five months ago.

“The strong foundation that you see here is very reflective of the growing partnership between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus,” the US Ambassador said, recalling the remarks during Christodoulides’ phone conversation with US Secretary Blinken that “we have a shared commitment to greater stability, security and prosperity here in the eastern Mediterranean region.”

“And this state-of-the-art facility of Cyprus is going to help us in partnership, be able to bring greater security to the region. Through this partnership, we`ll be able to enhance regional capabilities in the areas of border security, cyber security, non-proliferation and more for the countries of the region and beyond,” she stressed.

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