US Secretary of Defence James Mattis will meet this month Cypriot counterpart Savvas Angelides to discuss lifting of Washington’s arms embargo, according to reported comments by Republican Congressman Dan Donovan.
Replying to a question from newspaper Greek News, Donovan, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Securities Committees, said: “General Mattis is going to meet with the Minister of Defence of Cyprus this month.”
He added: “We have an embargo on Cyprus and now I suspect the Trump Administration is going to review that.”
The meeting, which is most likely to take place during a stopover of General Mattis in Cyprus, has not been confirmed by Nicosia.
Donovan is a close ally of President Donald Trump, representing New York’s 11th Congressional District (Staten Island and Bay Ridge Brooklyn) at the US House of Representatives and is running for re-election in November.
A Cyprus government official told the Greek News that it did not have such information, although a meeting is expected take place on Monday between Minister of Defence Savvas Angelides and US Ambassador in Nicosia Kathleen Doherty.
If a meeting between Angelides and Mattis occurs, it will be the first such meeting between a US Defence Secretary and a Cypriot Defence Minister.
In 1987, the US placed restrictions on the transfer of arms and defensive material to Cyprus in an attempt to encourage reunification efforts and avoid an arms build-up.
But Turkey has found a way to circumvent the arms embargo as around 35,000 Turkish troops are equipped with American weapons in the occupied northern third of Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus has had to look elsewhere to acquire weapons to defend itself.
On August 20, Chief of Staff for the US Army, General Mark A. Milley, met with National Guard Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ilias Leontaris and US Ambassador Doherty in Larnaca. General Leontaris has been invited by the US Army Chief to visit the United States later this month to participate in a conference.
Cyprus seeks a meeting with the Chief of the US Pentagon to reflect on the elevated status of their defence relationship.
Diplomatic sources told the Greek News that when Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides visits Washington to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – most likely in late October or early November – a meet with Secretary Mattis could be arranged.
Speaking to the Greek News, Donovan praised President Trump’s foreign policy, saying that one of the things about this President is “he doesn’t do things we have always done.”
“He wants to know why we do them. He is well aware of Cyprus’ generosity letting us use their airbase during our fight against terrorism, while the Turks are prohibiting us doing so,” Donovan noted.
Donovan told the Greek News that the supporters of Greece and Cyprus are going to be very pleased with the results of the Trump Administration.
“We review foreign policy throughout the world, but particularly in the Mediterranean, where we need such vital assets to fight terrorism. Cyprus has already shown us the willingness to help us by allowing us to use its airfields,” he said.
