Cyprus’ and Greece’s Defence Ministries will naturally move forward with synergies and cooperation within the framework of the EU SAFE Regulation, the two Ministers, Vassilis Palmas and Nikos Dendias, said on Monday.
In statements to the press after a meeting they had at the Ministry of Defence in Nicosia, Vassilis Palmas said that the meeting was part of their regular contacts on issues concerning the bilateral relations of the two friendly and brotherly countries.
‘We exchanged views on the geopolitical situation in the region, as it is evolving right now,’ he said, adding that they also discussed issues concerning bilateral relations, while focusing mainly on matters related to the EU SAFE Regulation, which concerns strengthening the EU defence industry and reinforcing Europe’s defence.
‘We consider it self-evident, of course, within the framework of SAFE, that the two Ministries should have synergies and cooperation, so that we can further upgrade our defence capability and our defensive shield for the protection of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,’ Palmas said.
Nikos Dendias thanked Vassilis Palmas for the warm welcome, as well as the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, whom he met afterwards.
‘It is an opportunity, first of all, to exchange views on a rapidly changing but extremely complex geopolitical situation, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region,’ he said. He added that the two Ministers also explored additional possibilities for cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and Greece, focusing on the SAFE Regulation, which, as he noted, has a tight timetable.
‘This Regulation, both for the Republic of Cyprus and for Greece, provides an opportunity to deepen our cooperation,’ he stressed.
Responding to a question on whether actions are being taken so that other EU member states will also exercise a veto in the event that Turkey seeks to join SAFE, Dendias said that ‘Vassilis and I are perhaps among the few people in Europe who have actually sat down and read the SAFE Regulation. An extremely complex Regulation, written in the peculiar language of Brussels’ bureaucracy, precisely so that everyone can understand whatever they think it means and express whatever they deem appropriate.’
However, within this context, he said, there are principled values that must be clear. ‘There is a clear commitment by the European Commission on how contracts between the EU and third countries will be submitted for discussion,’ he noted.
As he said, the European Commission itself, through a statement, has committed that these proposals will be put forward to be voted by unanimity, with a common understanding among all member states. ‘This is self-evident, because if someone threatens the EU itself, it is obvious that they cannot participate in the mechanism designed to counter such aggression,’ he said.
Within this framework, he continued, ‘we expect all European countries to align themselves with the self-evident understanding of protecting the European space, not only geographically, but also the European values, democracy, and the European approach to human rights protection.’