Bipartisan Bill in U.S. Senate Seeks Five-Year Renewal of Cyprus Arms Embargo Lift
The Booker–Moran initiative aims to secure stability in the U.S.–Cyprus defense relationship under the EastMed Act.
A bipartisan bill extending the duration of the U.S. arms embargo waiver for the Republic of Cyprus from one year to five years has been introduced in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by Democratic Senator Cory Booker and Republican Senator Jerry Moran.
The initiative aims to enhance stability and predictability in the U.S.–Cyprus defense partnership, eliminating the need for annual renewal of the embargo exemption by the U.S. State Department.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill on Wednesday, October 22. Although the legislation will still require approval by the full Senate, a positive vote in the Committee is expected to significantly boost its legislative momentum.
The development coincides with action in the House of Representatives, where Greek-American Congressman Chris Pappas has included a similar provision in the State Department Reauthorization Act — the annual legislation outlining the policies and priorities of U.S. diplomacy.
However, there is no equivalent bill currently introduced in the Senate. This means that, for the measure to take effect, it must either:
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Advance independently and be approved by both the House and Senate as a standalone bill, or
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Be incorporated as an amendment into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets the U.S. annual defense budget.
If the Booker–Moran bill receives committee approval on Wednesday, and considering the House Foreign Affairs Committee has already endorsed the proposal through the State Department Reauthorization Act, the likelihood of its inclusion in the final NDAA text will rise substantially.
The bill amends two key laws that currently require annual renewal of the embargo waiver on Cyprus:
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Section 205 of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act (EastMed Act) of 2019, and
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Section 1250A of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020.
In both cases, the proposed legislation replaces the phrase “one fiscal year” with “five fiscal years”, ensuring that the lifting of the arms embargo will remain valid for five years before requiring reassessment by the U.S. government.
