Cyprus Included in the U.S. Defense Agency’s Military Sales Program

The Republic of Cyprus has been granted approval to purchase military equipment directly from the U.S. government after joining three key programs under the U.S. Department of Defense.

On January 15 at 10:00 PM local time (3:00 PM in Washington, D.C.), Cyprus was officially incorporated into the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program of the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, as well as its Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. With this inclusion, Cyprus will now have access to resources under the provisions of the U.S. “Section 10” security assistance framework.

Joining the FMS program allows the Cypriot government to acquire military equipment directly from the U.S. government, a significant upgrade from its previous method of purchasing such equipment solely through private companies.

This move will also enable the Cypriot National Guard to participate more regularly in joint military exercises with U.S. armed forces.

The EDA program facilitates “friendly foreign nations” in acquiring surplus military equipment that the U.S. no longer requires. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, this initiative is commonly used to help modernize the armed forces of America’s international partners.

The security assistance under “Section 10,” named after the legislation regulating U.S. military operations, is specifically aimed at building capacity and enhancing military readiness.

This agreement marks the third intergovernmental military procurement deal Cyprus has entered into, with the country already holding similar agreements with Israel and Serbia.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides described the U.S. decision to allow direct military purchases as a momentous development.

“This reflects the results of our government’s clear policy direction, which is delivering significant benefits in diplomacy and defense,” Christodoulides stated, as quoted by Cyprus Mail.

The president also noted that this issue had been a topic of discussion during his meeting with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in October. He emphasized that the decision represents “another historic milestone in the bilateral relationship between Cyprus and the United States.”