Cypriot Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides expressed the position of the country that defence spending should be excluded from the budget deficit procedure, during a meeting of the steering board of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels.
Cypriot Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides expressed the position of the country that defence spending should be excluded from the budget deficit procedure, during a meeting of the steering board of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels.
Petrides participated in the meeting of the steering board of the EDA before the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the EU, in its defence configuration.
Speaking after the conclusion of the meeting, Petrides said that in the context of the EDA meeting he also supported the creation of an innovation hub, while noting that there is a need to simplify procedures for joint defence equipment procurement.
During the meeting of the FAC, Petrides said, the ministers were briefed through teleconference on the latest developments regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine by the Ukrainian Minister of Defence.
“Once again we unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion and stressed the need for intensifying diplomatic efforts for political dialogue between the two sides with a view to a ceasefire,” Petrides also said.
The ministers also discussed the progress in the implementation of the Compass Strategy and the effectiveness of the EU’s Common Defence and Security Policy missions and operations, he added.
“As Cyprus, we support the European Union in taking early action in emerging conflicts before they develop into a crisis, as well as the more effective use of the European Peace Facility,” he stressed.
Source: Cyprus News Agency