Planned upgrades to the Mari naval base may cost in excess of €200 million, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said the upgrades constitute a “large project which will be subsidised”, and reiterated comments made by President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday that efforts would be made to secure funding for it from the European Union.

“It will be a complete upgrade as provided for by international procedures and technical methods for implementing such projects,” he said, adding that regarding both Mari and the planned upgrades to Paphos’ Andreas Papandreou air base, the government is in contact with “the relevant experts and technicians who will indicate what should be done”.

He added that the “pre-study” for Mari’s planned upgrades has now been completed, and that the government is now “at the study stage”.

“So, when the study is completed, and it will take time to compete, we will be able to speak more in detail about this matter, though that will of course be to the extent to which we are allowed to speak publicly,” he said.

Christodoulides had said on Monday that upgrades would only cost €14.7m, but Palmas said this referred only to upgrades at the air base.

“With regard to the air base, the cost is not particularly large, and it has been estimated at €10m to €14m, depending on the outcome of the recommendations and proposals which will be made,” he said.

On the matter of potential American involvement, as referred to by Christodoulides, Palmas said, “it is a fact that the Americans are interested in providing their know-how and experience on how to improve the air base’s conditions.

“Certainly, when these projects are completed or when they are able to be used at a more advanced level than our current facilities, our partners will have the opportunity, of course with the Republic of Cyprus’ permission, to be able to use them,” he said.

He added that other countries’ use of the two bases will depend on the prevailing circumstances at any given time, and that they will be “always, of course, used within the framework of humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.

“From time to time, things are said which are not true, such as for example the claim that Cyprus will become a base for military operations and various other such things which concern aggressive states. I would like to emphasise and repeat that they will be used for humanitarian and peacekeeping reasons,” he said.

With this in mind, he said Cyprus is a “democratic, peaceful state”, which is “protecting itself to the greatest extent possible to ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity, taking into account that there has been an occupation in Cyprus for 50 years.

“For this reason, Cyprus’ defence is being upgraded. We are building infrastructure so that we can respond, if and when there is a moment at which we need to show that we have the ability to protect our country,” he said.

Christodoulides has suggested that the US may offer financial assistance to the Republic of Cyprus for the bases’ upgrades.

“We discussed it with the Americans, who are interested, and who utilised the Andreas Papandreou base for humanitarian purposes,” he said, while adding that members of both the US’ political parties visited the base in October.