Another country is heading towards NATO; They were neutral

He made the announcement after weeks of speculation about his government's intentions following a meeting with US President Joseph Biden in Washington last month.

Those plans run counter to Cyprus' longstanding policy of neutrality dating back to the Cold War era, when it balanced between Washington and Moscow.

Christodoulides said that although Cyprus cannot join NATO at this time due to Turkish opposition, the Cyprus National Guard should not be denied the opportunity to improve its defense capabilities with the help of the US.

"Since we do not want the National Guard to lose such opportunities, we are in negotiations with the US on how Cyprus can best use these opportunities, so that at the right moment, Cyprus can become a member state of NATO," Christodoulides said.

He estimated that the geographical location of Cyprus, as the closest EU member state to the Middle East, only 182 kilometers from Beirut, gave impetus to the planned upgrade of the military infrastructure.

He said that the government is currently holding talks with the US about upgrading the air base and with the EU about the naval base.

Cyprus' Andreas Papandreou Air Base is currently hosting a contingent of US Marines and a number of military transport and cargo aircraft that would assist in a potential evacuation from nearby Lebanon and elsewhere.

He did not specify how Turkish opposition could be circumvented. The United Nations is currently working on preparations for the resumption of peace talks between the opposing sides in Cyprus, which has been divided since Turkey's invasion in 1974.