As part of his official visit to France, Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas held bilateral consultations with the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, on Tuesday, 5 November 2024.
During the meeting, the strategic partnership between our countries was reaffirmed, and an extensive review of the Cyprus-France bilateral defence cooperation took place. The Cypriot Government’s emphasis on strengthening cooperation with its strategic partners remains a priority, as reflected in the bilateral consultations of the Presidents of Cyprus and France on the sidelines of the MED9 Leaders’ Summit.
The two Ministers discussed developments and the security situation both in Europe and in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Special mention was made of the situation in Lebanon and the importance of protecting the United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL, as well as the collaboration between the two countries in supporting Lebanon’s Security Forces to effectively implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Mr Palmas highlighted the role of the Republic of Cyprus and its contribution to efforts in civilian evacuation operations and the execution of humanitarian missions, an area where close cooperation exists between the two countries.
He also briefed his French counterpart on the security situation in the Republic of Cyprus, including the ongoing challenges posed by the occupying forces in the buffer zone and Turkey’s continued uncompromising revisionist policies. He stressed that the Republic of Cyprus is making every possible effort to resume negotiations in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
During the meeting, the two Ministers reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further deepen the existing defence and security cooperation between their countries. They discussed the process of upgrading the capabilities of the National Guard and the involvement of the Cypriot defence industry in future projects, aligning with the pre-election programme position of President Christodoulides.
Earlier, the Defence Minister visited the EURONAVAL Exhibition, where he toured the stands of the Association of Greek Defence Material Manufacturers and other companies. He also met with the French Government’s General Delegate for Armaments (DGA), Mr Emmanuel Chiva, with whom he discussed strengthening the defence capabilities of the National Guard and bilateral cooperation on armaments projects involving Cypriot participation.
Source: PIO
