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December 17, 2019The United States Congress approved the revocation of the ten-year arms embargo on Cyprus, in a clear sign of defiance against Turkey. The measure was approved by the Senate as part of a maxi bill on past defense spending - after the OK of the Chamber - for 86 votes in favor and 8 against and is now awaiting the signature of the president, Donald Trump.

The United States had imposed an embargo on the entire island in 1987 with the aim of preventing an arms race and instead favoring a peaceful agreement between the Greek majority and the Turkish minority. Critics argue that the step was counter-productive by forcing Cyprus to look for other partners while NATO member Turkey stationed forces in northern Cyprus since its invasion in 1974.

Senator Dem Robert Menendez and his Republican colleague Marco Rubio, promoters of the initiative, underlined the intention to encourage a growing cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel. "With Cyprus seeking to deepen its strategic partnership with the United States, it is in our national interest for security and the economy to remove these obsolete arms restrictions that are no longer helping US security goals," he said. Menendez after the first approval of the provision.