LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP) — Members of the U.S. navy’s elite particular forces SEAL unit joined Cypriot underwater demolition troopers on Friday in a joint drill to hone abilities in countering terrorist hijackings at sea.
The train concerned groups of U.S. and Cypriot particular forces re-taking a ship managed by terrorists.
Cypriot Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides mentioned after the drill that Cyprus and the U.S. are on the identical “strategic path” to make sure safety and stability in a turbulent area.
He mentioned shut cooperation between the 2 international locations’ particular forces previously two years goals to realize peak preparedness so as to cope with “asymmetrical threats and emerging crises.”
U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber mentioned extra joint drills will comply with within the close to future.
The U.S. determined for the primary time final 12 months to supply army schooling and coaching funding to Cyprus following Congressional approval as a part of Washington’s push to boost ties with international locations within the area so as to increase safety.
The funding is a part of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy and Security Partnership Act that U.S. legislators accredited in 2019. The laws underscores U.S. help for a partnership between Greece, Cyprus and Israel based on not too long ago found offshore gasoline deposits within the area.
The Act additionally partially lifts a 1987 U.S. arms embargo on Cyprus that was imposed to forestall an arms race that might hamper efforts to reunify the ethnically divided island nation.
Show Full Article
© Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
