"Cyprus, free from the problem of Turkish occupation and division, will be able to upgrade the role it plays today with even greater credibility and extroversion," said Defense Minister Christoforos Fokaidis at a conference on Defense Diplomacy and International Defense. Ministry of Defense and established from this year as an institution that will give the opportunity to report the departed and planning the new year.
The Conference reflects, as mentioned by the Minister of Defense in his speech, the emphasis and priority that the Ministry now gives to the production of policy in the field of Defense and especially in the field of international relations and participation in European security and defense institutions.
In his speech, according to an official announcement, the Minister of Defense referred to significant achievements in the field of defense diplomacy of the last two years, noting that, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Cyprus, important defense agreements have been signed with almost all neighboring countries, such as Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, and is expected very soon with Jordan. He also noted that for the first time a program of military cooperation with the United Kingdom has been signed, during last year's first official visit of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus to London, since 1960.
He also referred to a number of new agreements or military cooperation programs, such as with Italy, as well as classified information agreements with a number of European countries, and said that in 2017, new agreements are expected to be signed with important countries such as Germany for example.
Mr. Fokaidis also referred to the updating of the defense agreement with Russia, the forthcoming update of the defense agreement with France, while the upgrade of the relations with the USA was important, as he said lately.
All these agreements, the Minister pointed out, are important not only because they form a framework of cooperation that allow us to face common threats but also because they allow us to strengthen and highlight the role of Cyprus as a security contributor to our troubled and unstable neighborhood. .
In this neighborhood, the Minister characteristically stated, Cyprus "has no choice but to invest in defense. "Not only because of the ongoing crime and the anachronism of the occupation of a European country by Turkey, but also to be able to face the new type of threats and strengthen the role of Cyprus as a security producer in the region."
In this direction, the Minister said, the contribution of the Search and Rescue Coordination Center (KSED), which is operational under the Ministry of Defense, and which has been established in recent years as a regional hub for the provision of search and rescue services, is also important.
In today's modern world, the Minister underlined, "the dilemma is not whether or not to invest in defense. The dilemma is between producing security or introducing insecurity. "
Cyprus, the Minister pointed out, in the eyes of foreigners, "should be unequivocally linked to a problem (with the Cyprus problem) but the stabilizing role of Cyprus, as an EU member state, should be constantly highlighted. , which produces security in the area.
A possible solution to the Cyprus problem, as it is easily inferred, will give even greater momentum in this direction, he stressed. Free from the problem of occupation and division, Cyprus will be able to upgrade the role it plays today with even greater credibility and extroversion, YPAM pointed out.
That is why, he noted, the solution of the Cyprus problem "should not ignore this dimension. "Cyprus must continue in the same direction, relentlessly, away from anachronistic guarantee systems but also with capabilities that will allow it to continue and strengthen its role as a security contributor to the region."
Mr. Fokaidis referred to three axes on the basis of which the Ministry is working to upgrade the field of defense diplomacy. The first axis concerns the administrative structure and the staffing with appropriate staff. He referred to the establishment of a Diplomatic Bureau and the secondment of a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and underlined the establishment of a Defense Diplomacy Corps, in the context of the entire Administrative Reform of the Ministry, in order to place its executives in different areas. , to be constantly trained and to accumulate experience.
The second axis concerns the cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where, as the Minister mentioned, significant progress has been made with the secondment of military personnel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while noting the cooperation that exists between the heads of our diplomatic missions in various countries and military representatives or defense personnel.
The third axis concerns the systematic utilization of scientific knowledge and cooperation with universities. The Academy of Defense, Security and Crisis Management will play an important role in this direction, with the aim of utilizing opportunities for systematic training and scientific knowledge through collaborations with academics in the field of policy making.
The Head of the National Assembly gave a greeting at the Conference. The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexandros Zenon, spoke on the priorities of the foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Malikkidis, on the development of military capabilities, research and technology within the European Organization. Of Defense and the Director of the Military Staff of the Minister of Defense, Captain Fytiris, on the subject of regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean in matters of maritime safety and the role of the KSED.
A presentation was also made by officials of the Ministry of Defense of the Reorganization and Modernization Plan of the Hellenic Armed Forces. as well as the work performed by the National Security Authority with regard to Classified Information Agreements.
Presentations were also made by the Director of the Diplomatic Office of the Minister of Defense, the Director of the Department of Defense Diplomacy, while the heads of all military missions of Cyprus and national experts abroad presented a report and action plan.
The meeting was attended by all Defense Attachés, all military representatives and experts in European institutions and participants in all EU missions. and the UN, as well as all officials in the field of International Relations and Defense Diplomacy, the announcement concludes.
Source: KYPE