; and (B) should not be impeded by other sovereign states. (19) The United States Government cooperates closely with the Government of Cyprus through numerous bilateral agreements. (20) United States officials have assisted the Government of Cyprus with crafting that country’s national security strategy. (21) The United States Government provides training to Cypriot officials in areas such as cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and explosive ordnance disposal and stockpile management. (22) Cyprus is a valued member of the Proliferation Security Initiative to combat the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. (23) Cyprus continues to work closely with the United Nations and regional partners in Europe to combat terrorism and violent extremism. (24) Cyprus has been used as an offshore banking hub. While Cyprus is working to upgrade its anti-money laundering legal framework, the Department of State’s 2019 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) noted that, the Cypriot financial system is vulnerable to money laundering by domestic and foreign criminal enterprises and individuals and that organized criminal groups and others have reportedly used Cypriot banks to launder proceeds, particularly from Russian and Ukrainian illicit activity. (25) As of February 2019, Cyprus has taken steps to address legitimate criticism of its use of investor citizenship schemes (known as golden passports ), which have in the past allowed Russian oligarchs under United States sanctions to obtain Cypriot passports and gain full access to the European Union. (26) United Nations Security Council Resolution 1251 (1999) noted grave concern at the continuing excessive levels of military forces and armaments in the Republic of Cyprus and the rate at which they are being expanded, upgraded and modernized and called upon all concerned to commit themselves to … limiting and then substantially reducing the level of all troops and armaments in the Republic of Cyprus. . (27) A 1987 United States arms prohibition was designed to