The geopolitical upgrade of the Republic of Cyprus and its geographical position have created a new environment of respect for our country, Minister of Defence Vassilis Palmas said on Wednesday.
In statements at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, in the framework of the Multinational Exercise “NEMESIS 2025”, which took place within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus, the Minister congratulated the Center and the participating countries in the exercise, which first began in 2014.
“We continue to this day and we plan to continue for many more years,” he said.
Palmas noted that ‘in the modern era we live in, synergies, collaborations and alliances between member states of the international community are essential in order to be able to carry out missions, whether humanitarian, peaceful or even warlike.’
The Minister of Defence also stated that ‘the Center is perhaps the most popular one that has to do with the Ministry of Defence and the National Guard due to its long-standing action concerning humanitarian and peacekeeping missions”.
Meanwhile, addressing the NEMESIS 2025 exercise, Palmas said that the Republic of Cyprus, is making every effort to continuously improve and upgrade the procedures, when confronting emergencies such as terrorist attacks, Search and Rescue operations, and incidents of marine pollution within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, considering always the obligations deriving from the International Laws and UNCLOS.
“The effectiveness of all the agencies involved in the broader area of maritime safety is not a one-time goal to be achieved. Rather, this is a process to be pursued continuously and within that framework lies the importance of this exercise. NEMESIS 2025, like every large-scale exercise, is a great opportunity to extract valuable lessons that will enhance capabilities and update the procedures and I have no doubt that all participants will have the opportunity to take their professionalism a step further” he said.
Moreover, the Minister noted that exploitation activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone provide not only benefits, but also responsibilities and assured that the Republic of Cyprus is committed to fulfilling them. In doing so, through initiatives like the exercise NEMESIS, is actively pursuing the maximization of cooperation and coordination of all the involved parties, both from public and private sector, based on the international law and the European Union Directives, he continued.
The participating countries in the exercise are Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, United Kingdom and United States of America.
“Thank you for your participation with assets and personnel. Your longstanding support is very important not only for us, but also for the overall stability in the area in benefit and prosperity of all the countries in the region” he concluded.