President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides welcomed on Friday Norway’s decision to open applications for the export of defence – related and dual – use products for military use to Cyprus.
This is a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations, he stressed.
“I warmly welcome Norway’s decision, conveyed today by Espen Barth Eide (Foreign Minister of Norway) to open applications for the export of defence-related and dual-use products for military use to Cyprus. A significant step in strengthening our bilateral defence cooperation between Cyprus and Norway,” President Christodoulides wrote on ‘X’.
According to a government source, Norway is lifting its arms embargo against Cyprus after 65 years. The decision of the Government of Norway to lift the arms embargo in force against the Republic of Cyprus was announced in a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of Cyprus by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Espen Barth Eide.
The same source pointed out that the decision to lift the embargo that was in force since 1959 “constitutes a development of particular political and diplomatic importance, as it ends a restrictive regime that remained in force for more than six decades.”
The embargo was imposed at the time as part of Norway’s general policy not to export arms to countries where there is war, threat of war or internal conflict.
“The decision of the Norwegian Government to review the framework for the export of defence equipment to Cyprus is a recognition of the role of the Republic of Cyprus as a reliable partner, but also as a security factor in the Eastern Mediterranean,”, the same source stated.
This, the source added, is the result of coordinated diplomatic actions and continuous dialogue that Nicosia had developed with Oslo, with the aim of restoring the equal treatment of Cyprus within the framework of European and transatlantic cooperation.
This development is expected to further strengthen the cooperation of the two countries not only in the field of defence, but also in the broader effort for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean region, where Cyprus and Norway already cooperate on energy and environmental issues within the framework of their European and international role, the government source concluded.