Larnaca: EU defence initiatives should fully align with the defence interests of all member states and exclude European funding to states which act contrary to the EU’s strategic interests and are not reliable but merely opportunistic partners, Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos stated. Addressing the High-Level Course of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) in Larnaca, Kombos emphasized the importance of cooperation and synergy, noting that advancing these efforts remains a priority for Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Kombos highlighted Cyprus’ humanitarian aid initiative “Amaltheia,” which has dispatched over 20,000 tonnes of supplies to Gaza. He also detailed Cyprus’ role in evacuating citizens from crisis zones, facilitating the evacuation of thousands of third-country nationals, including more than 4,000 from Lebanon recently.
In his remarks, Kombos stressed the strategic reasons for expanding defence and crisis management capacities, referencing recent Non-Combatant Evac
uation Operations in Sudan, Israel, and Lebanon. He praised Cyprus’ active role in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza, supported by an international coalition including the USA, UK, UAE, and Qatar.
Kombos addressed the challenges and efforts behind these initiatives, such as maintaining operational preparedness, information sharing, logistics, and real-time decision-making. He also discussed the EU’s Defence Union, emphasizing the need for collaboration and joint procurement in light of the fragmented European Defence Technological and Industrial Base exposed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The Foreign Affairs Minister welcomed the European Commission’s initiatives to develop the European Defence Industrial Strategy and Programme, aiming to enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy and support small and medium-sized enterprises. He underscored the importance of improving the defence industry’s access to funding and reducing dependencies on third-party suppliers.
Austrian Ambassador Dr. Susanne Bachfis
cher echoed the sentiment, stressing the need to defend democratic values amid global instability. She highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the Cyprus Security and Defence Academy and the Austrian National Defence Academy, including plans for future orientation courses and a European Security and Geo-Economics Course.
The collaboration began in May 2022, with a focus on reinforcing strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex security environment. Following successful pilot courses, the geoeconomics course will rotate between Cyprus, Austria, and Belgium, with the next session scheduled in Larnaca in 2025.