President Christodoulides chaired a ministerial meeting on Thursday, approving Cyprus’s participation in European Union and United States defence funding programmes, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.
“A ministerial meeting was held today, chaired by President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, regarding the utilisation of European Union financial instruments, as well as United States programmes, to which the Republic of Cyprus now has access,” Letymbiotis said in a written statement.
The meeting included the Finance Minister, Defence Minister, Justice and Public Order Minister, and Deputy Minister for European Affairs.
Cyprus gained access to the US programmes following President Biden’s Presidential Determination on 15 January 2025, which made the country eligible for Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Excess Defense Articles (EDA) and Title 10 security assistance programmes.
“The main topic of the meeting was the utilisation of these programmes in conjunction with medium-term planning for the needs of strengthening the deterrent capacity and defensive capabilities of the Republic of Cyprus,” Letymbiotis said.
Three key decisions emerged from the meeting, according to the spokesman.
“The Republic of Cyprus expressed preliminary intention to utilise the SAFE funding framework,” Letymbiotis said. The EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, approved by member states in May 2025, provides up to €150 billion in loans to boost defence production across the bloc through joint procurement projects.
A European Commission technical team will visit Cyprus in July for further discussions on the programme, which requires a minimum 65% of weapon system value to be manufactured in EU member states, Ukraine, or European Economic Area countries.
The government will also explore defence investment mechanisms offered by the European Investment Bank, Letymbiotis said.
Cyprus will submit specific requests to the United States for equipment through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) and Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS), which became available following the US decision on 15 January 2025.
The FMS programme allows Cyprus to purchase military equipment directly from the US government at reduced prices compared to private companies, whilst the EDA programme provides access to excess US military equipment at low or no cost. The EDA programme excludes ships, aircraft and strategic weapons but covers items ranging from uniforms to vehicles.
“Within this framework, the Republic of Cyprus will give priority to purchases from companies of the Cypriot Defence Industry,” Letymbiotis said.
The spokesman noted that Cyprus will support efforts by domestic firms to promote their defence products internationally, “taking into account the recent EU decision on the need for further investments in the Defence sector”.
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