Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou on Sunday expressed his opposition to what he described as the government’s efforts to “integrate Cyprus into Nato”.

Speaking at his party’s youth wing Edon’s annual excursion to Troodos, he said the excursion has “a history of decades behind it”.

“It began before 1974 and expressed, and still expresses, the Cypriot left’s demand and fight for Cyprus to be free from military bases, a homeland, a bridge of peace and cooperation in the region,” he said.

He added, “this request, this goal, this demand which the Cypriot left has made is still relevant, and that is why the Cypriot left, Akel, Edon, the popular movement, continues this fight”.

“This is why Akel is opposed to [President Nikos] Christodoulides’ government’s attempts to integrate Cyprus into Nato. This is why Akel is opposed to the government’s attempts to turn Cyprus into a Nato and American base for imperialist interventions in the bloody region of the Middle East,” he said.

He also expressed his support for a bizonal, bicommunal solution to the Cyprus problem, saying, “for us, both the status quo and partition constitute a source of new dangers for our homeland and for our people, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots”.

He then closed his speech by welcoming the fact that Edon had made the trip to Troodos, as well as the fact that a delegation from Turkish Cypriot political party the CTP’s youth wing had also made the trip.

Stefanou’s comments come ten days after then-United States President Joe Biden had issued a Presidential determination which incorporated the Republic of Cyprus into three programmes run by the US department of defence, allowing the country to purchase military hardware directly from the US government.

Those are the US defence security cooperation agency’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme, its excess defence articles (EDA) programme, and programmes to allocate resources under the US’ ‘Title 10’ security assistance provisions.

It is the inclusion into the FMS programme which will allow the government to purchase military hardware directly from the US government, with the country previously having only been able to buy US military hardware from private companies.

Being able to circumvent private companies will allow the government to buy weapons and other hardware at cheaper prices than before, given that the US government typically acquires its apparatus in bulk, and is thus able to sell it on for cheaper prices than what private companies would offer to a military of the National Guard’s size.

The EDA programme allows for “friendly foreign countries” to acquire military equipment from the US that the country has deemed “excess”, and, according to the US defence security cooperation agency is typically used to modernise the armed forces of the US’ international partners.

The items are typically offered by the US at a reduced price, depending on the condition of the equipment at the time of sale, with the Cyprus Mail understanding that on some occasions, the equipment is even offered free of charge.

Christodoulides had at the time said the decision was a “development of historic importance”.

“It reflects the results of the clear policy and orientation of our government, which brings substantial benefits in the fields of policy, diplomacy and defence,” he said.

He added that the matter had been discussed during his meeting with outgoing US President Joe Biden in October, and that the decision “marks another historic milestone in bilateral relations between Cyprus and the US”.

“At the same time, it is a clear recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as a critical pillar of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the potential to further contribute to pace and the management of humanitarian challenges,” he said.

He went on to say that the decision constitutes an “undoubtedly decisive development” which “confirms Cyprus’ value in the broader geopolitical chessboard and sends strong messages for the deepening of the strategic cooperation between Cyprus and the US”.