Cyprus is strengthening its deterrence capabilities while developing its defence industry into a key economic sector, President Christodoulides said on Thursday at an international defence and security conference in Nicosia.
Sixteen Cypriot companies are already participating in European defence programmes, with contracts worth 435 million euros, selling products to EU member states’ defence ministries, the president told reporters.
The government has announced new measures including the establishment of a Defence Research, Technology and Industry Council under presidential supervision. A clause requiring Cypriot company participation has been included in a recent arms procurement agreement with France, a policy that will apply to future defence purchases.
“We are doing everything possible to enhance the Republic of Cyprus’s deterrent power,” Christodoulides said, citing both the Turkish occupation and Cyprus’s strategic location as an EU member state in a geopolitically significant region.
The president also revealed that defence cooperation with the United States is set to expand, with new announcements possible before year-end. Plans include upgrading the “Evangelos Florakis” naval base in Mari and the “Andreas Papandreou” air base in Paphos, with discussions ongoing with both the EU and U.S. authorities.
Christodoulides outlined his vision to transform Cyprus from a consumer to a producer of defence products, contributing to European defence through innovation and high-quality defence systems. The initiative aims to attract skilled Cypriot scientists back to the island with well-paid positions while diversifying the economy.
The measures are part of a broader strategy to establish Cyprus as a defence technology hub capable of contributing to European security while generating economic benefits, he added.
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