Editing Foreign relations of Cyprus (section)

==Historical non-alignment==
{{See also|Cyprus and the Non-Aligned Movement|Cyprus–NATO relations}}
[[Cyprus]] has historically followed a [[Cyprus and the Non-Aligned Movement|non-aligned foreign policy]], although it increasingly identifies with the West in its cultural affinities and trade patterns, and maintains close relations with the [[European Union]], Greece, Armenia, Lebanon, Israel and the United States.

[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F013050-0001, München, Staatsbesuch Präsident von Zypern.jpg|thumb|left|Cyprus former President [[Makarios III]] at a state visit in [[Munich]] with the German Chancellor in 1962]]

The prime originator of Cypriot non-alignment was Archbishop of Cyprus [[Makarios III]], the first [[Presidents of Cyprus|President]] (1960–1977) of the independent republic of Cyprus. Prior to independence, Makarios - by virtue of his post as [[List of Archbishops of Cyprus|Archbishop of Cyprus]] and head of the [[Cypriot Orthodox Church]] - was the [[Greek Cypriot Ethnarch]], or ''de facto'' leader of the community. A highly influential figure well before independence, he participated in the 1955 [[Bandung Conference]]. After independence, Makarios took part in the [[1st Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement|1961 founding meeting]] of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] in [[Belgrade]].

[[File:Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti'nin diplomatik ilişkileri.png|thumb|right|350px|Cyprus representations abroad{{legend|#008000|resident embassy}} {{legend|#00ff00|non-resident embassy}} {{legend|#0000FF|diplomatic relations only, but no mission}}<br />{{legend|#ff0000|states that don't recognise the [[Republic of Cyprus]]}}]]

Reasons for this neutrality may lie in the extreme pressures exerted on the infant Republic by its larger neighbours, Turkey and Greece. [[Cyprus dispute|Intercommunal rivalries]] and movements for [[enosis|union with Greece]] or partial union with Turkey may have persuaded Makarios to steer clear of close affiliation with either side. In any case Cyprus became a high-profile member of the Non-Aligned Movement and retained its membership until its entry into the [[European Union]] in 2004. At the non-governmental level, Cyprus has also been a member of the popular extension of the Non-Aligned Movement, the [[Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organisation]] hosting several high-level meetings.

Immediately after the 1974 Greek-sponsored [[coup d'état]] and the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish invasion]], Makarios secured international recognition of his administration as the legitimate government of the whole island. This was disputed only by [[Turkey]], which currently recognizes only the [[Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus]], established in 1983.

Since the 1974 crisis, the chief aim of the foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus has been to secure the withdrawal of Turkish forces and the reunification of the island under the most favorable constitutional and territorial settlement possible. This campaign has been pursued primarily through international forums such as the [[United Nations]] and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]], and in recent years through the European Union.