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A bipartisan team of U.S. senators is pushing to make the lifting of America’s arms embargo on Cyprus last five years instead of one, a move seen as a strong signal of Washington’s growing trust in Nicosia.
The proposal, filed by Democrat Cory Booker and Republican Jerry Moran, was submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of a vote on Wednesday, October 22. If approved, it would spare the State Department from having to renew the exemption every year and give both sides more stability in their military cooperation.
The House connection
The initiative ties in with a similar effort in the House of Representatives, where Greek-American Congressman Chris Pappas included the same provision in the State Department Reauthorization Act, a yearly bill that outlines U.S. foreign policy goals.
But there’s a catch: the Senate doesn’t yet have an equivalent bill. That means the measure will either need to move forward as a stand-alone law or be added to the massive National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that sets the U.S. defense budget.
If the Booker-Moran bill passes the Senate Committee this week, it would line up neatly with what’s already moving through the House, boosting its chances of being included in the final NDAA.
What exactly the bill does
In simple terms, the senators want to tweak two existing laws, the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 and the NDAA of 2020, to change one phrase: from “one fiscal year” to “five fiscal years.”
That small wording change would mean the lifting of the arms embargo on Cyprus stays valid for five years before review, rather than having to be renewed every single year.
Supporters say the change would cement long-term defense cooperation between Washington and Nicosia and recognize Cyprus’ growing role as a stable partner in the Eastern Mediterranean.
*Source: APE-MPA
