[4][5] In 1955 the Cyprus Emergency began, with Greek Cypriots waging an armed campaign to end British colonial rule and union with Greece.

The London and Zürich Agreements of 1959 ended the conflict and led to Cyprus gaining its independence from the UK in 1960, but ruled out both a union with either Greece or Turkey and partition.

While Greece and Turkey had agreed to support Cyprus joining NATO during negotiations for its independence,[12] Makarios adopted a policy of non-alignment.

[16][17] Since the 1974 invasion, the main foreign policy goal 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 terms possible.

[18][19] This campaign has been pursued primarily through international forums such as the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, and in recent years the European Union.

[20][21][22] While Cyprus had historically followed a non-aligned foreign policy, it increasingly identified with the West in its cultural affinities and trade patterns, and maintains close relations with the rest of the European Union (including Greece), as well as Armenia, Lebanon, and Russia.

In November 2024, Christodoulides reversed his previous stance and revealed a plan to deepen Cyprus' relations with NATO and eventually join as a full member.