Afət Ziyadqızı
Israeli defense industry giants are reportedly planning to establish production facilities in Southern Cyprus to facilitate their integration into the European Union (EU) market.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that foreign media cited the Southern Cypriot newspaper Fileleftheros and other diplomatic sources as saying this.
According to the report, Elbit Systems, the manufacturer of Hermes unmanned aerial vehicles, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which specializes in missile systems, are particularly interested in creating production capabilities on the island. The Israeli companies’ main aim is to market their products as “Made in EU,” benefit from the bloc’s 150 billion euro SAFE defense loan program and increase their share of the European defense market. Elbit already operates a similar production center in Romania, while Rafael has one in Germany.
The issue was also reportedly discussed during a meeting between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the leader of the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, during Herzog’s visit to Nicosia. The Southern Cypriot leadership is said to have welcomed the investment proposal, which was put forward at the companies’ request. Despite political disputes, revenues earned by Israeli defense companies from arms exports to European countries continue to reach record levels.
