What are Cyprus’ common interests with the USA?
Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20th July 2020
The government and the relevant Minister in charge continue celebrating the military training program which the US will provide to the Cypriot National Guard. However, the US State Department and the US Embassy in Cyprus have very clearly and crudely stated that this program is for the promotion of American interests. Since when does the government of a sovereign state celebrate in favour of the interests of a foreign state, which in effect played a sinful role in our country’s tragedy and which, of course, is not renowned even today for respecting international law?
The military training program is part of the notorious Menendez-Rubio law, with which the United States demands from the Republic of Cyprus not only the Cypriot government’s alignment with US plans, but also the destruction of our relations, first with Russia and subsequently with China.
How long will the government ruling forces pretend not to see the explicit statements issued by the Americans? What are the “common interests” of Cyprus with the United States, whose government has as its declared goal keeping Turkey within the Western camp at all costs and not, of course, shielding Cyprus from Turkey’s aggressive actions? Since when has Cyprus the luxury to break off relations with powerful states, permanent members of the UN Security Council, which have always taken a stand in support of the struggle of Cyprus?
For the past seven years, the Anastasiades government has been pursuing a foreign policy based on the doctrine of transforming our country into an “advanced outpost of the West”, fulfilling every US demand, with the illusion that the US would provide support to Cyprus against Turkey. The government ruling forces should have drawn their own conclusions up till now but evidently, rooted in their ideological obsessions, they are unable to do so.
