Page 10 - aruba-today-20190119

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 19 January 2019
Cyprus: US to lift Cyprus arms embargo in security boost

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS facilities to countries — in-
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — cluding the U.S. — that
The U.S. will soon start lifting have asked to carry out
a decades-old arms em- humanitarian missions, he
bargo on Cyprus because said.
Washington acknowledges He said the U.S. and some
the Mediterranean island European Union countries
nation's contribution to are keen to join energy-
bolstering regional stability based partnerships that
and security, the Cypriot Cyprus and Greece have
foreign minister said Friday. established with neighbor-
Foreign Minister Nikos ing countries — including
Christodoulides said that Egypt, Jordan and Israel
Washington sees the "add- — that are expanding to
ed value" of allowing Cy- include Lebanon and the
prus to acquire military Palestinians.
equipment that would help The U.S. Geological Survey
enhance its capabilities to estimates that there are
boost regional security. 122 trillion cubic feet of gas
The embargo was imposed in the east Mediterranean,
in 1987 with the aim of pre- with just over a quarter of
venting an arms buildup that amount discovered
that would hamper dip- In this Thursday, March 1, 2018 file photo, Nikos Christodoulides speaks after taking the oath of in waters of Egypt, Israel
lomatic efforts to reunify office as Cyprus' new foreign minister during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, and Cyprus. Offshore ex-
divided Cyprus. The island Cyprus. ploratory drilling continues
was split along ethnic lines Associated Press along with talks on how to
in 1974 when Turkey in- deliver that gas to Europe-
vaded in the wake of a division. terranean has apparently the ground. He has con- an markets and beyond,
coup aimed at union with "This is proof, if you like, of irked Russia. veyed to his Russian coun- either through onshore gas
Greece. the recognition by the U.S. The Russian foreign ministry terpart that stronger ties processing facilities or via
Christodoulides said the administration of the posi- last month warned against with Washington shouldn't pipelines.
process to lift the embargo tive role that Cyprus plays what it called "anti-Russian be interpreted as "preju- "I am personally convinced
has been set in motion in as a pillar of stability and plans" of a U.S. military dicial" to Cyprus' relations that hydrocarbons in the
the U.S. Congress, reflect- security in the broader re- buildup in Cyprus in order with any other country. He Eastern Mediterranean can
ing a "positive shift" in that gion," Christodoulides told to counter Russia's growing said Cyprus' foreign policy become what the coal
Washington no longer The Associated Press. influence in the region. doesn't engage in a "zero- and steel was for the Euro-
views Cyprus solely as an Heightened U.S. interest Christodoulides said that sum game." pean Community," Christo-
unsettled conflict of ethnic in the gas-rich east Medi- doesn't reflect reality on Cyprus regularly offers its doulides said.q

Russia warns US missile defense plans will fuel arms race

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV ing domain and vowed bans production, testing
Associated Press that the U.S. will develop an and deployment of land-
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia unrivaled missile defense based cruise and ballistic
said Friday the Pentagon's system to protect against missiles with a range of 500
new missile defense strate- advanced hypersonic and to 5,500 kilometers (310 to
gy will trigger an arms race other threats. 3,400 miles). Washington
in space and further under- The Russian Foreign Ministry said it will suspend its treaty
mine global stability. described the Pentagon's obligations if Russian does
The tough Russian state- review as an attempt to re- not come into compliance
ment came in response produce President Ronald by Feb. 2.
to the U.S. administration's Reagan's 'Star Wars' missile Lavrov insisted the Rus-
Missile Defense Review re- defense plans on a new sian missile has only been
leased Thursday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during his and technological level and launched at the range al-
President Donald Trump's Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas joint news conference urged the Trump adminis- lowed by the treaty.
visit to the Pentagon. following their talks in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. tration to "come to its sens- "If they think the range was
The Pentagon's new strat- Associated Press es" and engage in arms excessive, they must have
egy calls for a new array of control talks with Russia. satellite images or some-
space-based sensors and U.S. strategy as a proof of plementation of its plans Earlier Friday, Russian For- thing else, but they haven't
other high-tech systems to "Washington's desire to en- and approaches will not eign Minister Sergey Lav- shown anything to us," he
more quickly detect and sure uncontested military strengthen security of the rov again rejected the U.S. said after the talks with visit-
shoot down incoming mis- domination in the world." U.S. and its allies," the min- claim of Russian violations ing German Foreign Minis-
siles. It makes clear that the It warned that the expan- istry said in a statement. of the 1987 Intermediate- ter Heiko Maas.
new defense technologies sion of the U.S. missile de- "Attempts to take that path Range Nuclear Forces Maas called on Russia to
are needed to counter ad- fense system "will inevitably will have the opposite ef- Treaty, charging that Wash- destroy the type of missile
vanced weapons being start an arms race in space fect and deal another ington hasn't offered any that the U.S. alleges is in
developed by Russia and with the most negative heavy blow to international proof. violation of the treaty, say-
China along with threats consequences for interna- stability." The U.S. has accused Russia ing he doesn't think "any-
from North Korea and Iran. tional security and stability." Trump, in a speech at the of testing and deploying a one in Europe would like to
The Russian Foreign Min- "Contrary to what the Re- Pentagon, declared that missile that violated provi- see the beginning of a new
istry described the new view's authors say, the im- space is the new war-fight- sions of the INF Treaty that arms race."q