The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias visited Cyprus on Wednesday where he met with the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and his Cypriot counterpart Vassilis Palmas.
“Greece and Cyprus are pillars of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both bilaterally and multilaterally through the many groups in which we participate,” Dendias stressed during the meeting with Palmas.
On the Cyprus issue, he reiterated Greece’s firm position in support of Cyprus’ efforts for a balanced and viable solution in the framework of UN resolutions and the European acquis. “It is not possible in the 21st century for a European capital, Nicosia, to remain divided,” he stressed. Dendias also briefed Palmas on the situation in the Aegean.
The need to strengthen the European Union’s security and defence, as well as Greece’s contribution to enhancing the deterrent capacity of Cyprus, were central topics of discussion during a meeting between Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides.
Christodoulides stressed that EU should take responsibility for the defence of the member states “in the context of achieving the objective of strategic autonomy, of achieving the objective of strengthening the EU’s geostrategic role.”
Dendias emphasized that during Christodoulides’ term, the US took the initiative to grant Cyprus access to American military equipment. He also praised Christodoulides for his efforts to “reposition the Cyprus issue within the framework established by United Nations resolutions.”
