The Cyprus Center for Land Open-seas and Port Security (CyCLOPS) is a testament to the strong and growing partnership between the US and Cyprus, in security related matters, trade and investment, broader regional cooperation, and many others, US Ambassador in Cyprus Julie Fisher said on Friday, during a visit she and Cyprus Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, paid to CyCLOPS, located in Larnaca. On his part, Combos said that CyCLOPS is a testament to the recent upgrading of bilateral relations between Cyprus and the US, in the security domain, noting that since its opening in April 2022 more than 700 officials from Cyprus and many other countries have benefited from its training programs and seminars and it attracts strong interest globally and from a multitude of national as well as translational stakeholders, such as the UN Office for Drugs and Crime. During their joint visit to CyCLOPS FM Combos and Ambassador Fisher were guided to its premises and were informed about its operations and activities by the Center’s Director Chrysilios Chrysiliou. In her remarks, Ambassador Fisher said that CyCLOPS is a place where the United States and the Republic of Cyprus work together to promote safety and security in the region by providing training and assistance in border security, the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity, maritime security, and more. Moreover she noted that during a US funded course on incident command systems that ended today 25 Cypriot and five Lebanese officials were trained on a multi-agency response to emergency incidents. “I was pleased to learn that the training schedule for CyCLOPS is filling up with courses on maritime law enforcement, fraudulent documents, and smuggling interdiction, to name a few,” she added. Fisher went on to say that CyCLOPS is not just a building “but a symbol of the strength of our relationship and our common values. CyCLOPS is not static. The work, the training done here will grow and expand in parallel with our bilateral relationship. I am excited for what the future holds here at CyCLOPS and for our two nations,” she added. Fisher thanked for the invitation to visit this state-of-the-art training facility “but even more for your support to this center and what it means for the Republic of Cyprus, the United States, and many partners throughout the region.” On his part, FM Kombos said that it was a pleasure to visit CyCLOPS jointly with Ambassador Fisher, and have a first opportunity to tour the Centre together and experience first-hand the great work that is being done under its roof. “I want to firstly reiterate our deep gratitude to the US government for its indispensable role and involvement in establishing this state-of-the art training facility here in Larnaca,” he added. Moreover, he said that CyCLOPS is a testament to the recent upgrading of bilateral relations between Cyprus and the US, in the security domain. “It proves that our strategic partnership is tangible and substantial, based on shared values and interests, aiming, among other things, at securing a regional, rules-based, stable security architecture,” he added. Kombos underlined Cyprus’ unwavering commitment to the further strengthening of the bilateral relations with the US. “Towards that end, I look forward to engaging constructively with you personally Ambassador and of course with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken,” he noted.
Source: Cyprus News Agency