US renews lifting of defence trade restrictions for Cyprus for fiscal year 2027

The United States government has officially renewed the waiver of defence trade restrictions for the Republic of Cyprus for the 2027 fiscal year. This decision, welcomed by the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, permits the export, re-export, and transfer of defence articles and services from the United States to Cyprus. The move is viewed by officials as a significant recognition of the growing strategic partnership between the two nations, particularly regarding regional security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This ongoing cooperation is rooted in long-term bilateral efforts, including the establishment of a security dialogue in 2021 and the signing of a defence cooperation roadmap in 2024. Through these waivers, Cyprus has gained access to American defence programmes, such as foreign military sales and excess defence articles. The current exemption follows a decades-old arms embargo first imposed in 1987, which was initially intended to encourage reunification efforts following the 1974 Turkish invasion. The embargo is currently lifted via annual administrative waivers, with the Cypriot government expressing gratitude for the bipartisan support in the US Congress that facilitated this latest extension.