Technocrats from the United States visiting the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos on Thursday morning are to inspect the facility and prepare a study for its upgrade, deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said.

Later on Thursday they met with Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas to inform him of their findings and conclusions regarding the Andreas Papandreou airbase.

Palmas will, at a later date, brief the relevant parliamentary committee about the experts recommendations on the update of both the airbase in Paphos and the naval base in Mari.

The US delegation will return with a proposal for covering part or all of the cost of improvements, Antoniou told state broadcaster CyBC.

He went on to dismiss concerns and allegations about the base being appropriated as a military annex for the USA.

“It is well known, and we had announced it, that the US had expressed an interest in making use of the [air] base – just as European states had expressed interest in making use of the Evangelos Florakis marine base. The need arose following the crisis in the region, when the western states, as well as [others like China] needed to […] evacuate their citizens [from danger zones],” the spokesman said.

The government responded to this need, which provides for mutual benefits, as the facility requires modernisation and the US is ready to carry out the study as well as cover costs, and this is of critical importance for Cyprus, Antoniou explained.

“The bases will remain an integral part of the Republic and anyone wishing to use them can do so after seeking the permission of the state,” Antoniou said.

“Anything else being said bears no connection to reality,” he added.

The US air force’s 435th contingency response assessment team was to make recommendations to “enhance Cyprus’ interoperability with the US”, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis had said on Tuesday.

He added that “the deepening of military cooperation with allied forces contributes decisively to maintaining peace and stability in the region”.

This team, which is based in Germany, will visit the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos, with the main objective of providing expertise and recommendations around new infrastructure projects that will enhance Cyprus interoperability with the United States and their partners, Letymbiotis said.

He added that the assessment will cover areas such as airport operations, logistics and communications, thus supporting the modernisation and upgrading of defence capabilities.