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UAE signs joint defense agreement with Cyprus

The Gulf country is eyeing a new partnership in the Mediterranean to counter Turkey.

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Cyprus' Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides (R) meets with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, in the capital, Nicosia, on Oct. 1, 2020. — ETIENNE TORBEY/AFP via Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates and Cyprus signed a defense cooperation agreement yesterday in the latest partnership between the Gulf country and a Mediterranean country.

UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi signed the agreement during a videoconference with Cyprus’ Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides on Tuesday.

The agreement includes proposals for future joint training exercises and operational cooperation. Petrides lauded the deal as inaugurating a strategic relationship between the two countries’ militaries, according to The Associated Press.

Tuesday’s deal is the latest sign the UAE is capitalizing on its common cause with Mediterranean nations opposed to Turkey’s policies in the region.

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