The Chief of the National Guard, Lt. Gen. Dimokritos Zervakis, paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates between 19-21 February, accompanied by a two-member delegation, at the invitation of his UAE counterpart, Lt. Gen. Issa Al Mazrouei.
A press release by the National Guard says that the visit highlighted the importance of the extensive network of international partnerships and initiatives that the National Guard has developed, which contribute to upgrading its operational capabilities and to promoting security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The visit took place on the occasion of the IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 international defense equipment exhibitions, as well as the IDC 2023 International Defense Conference, held in Abu Dhabi, under the auspices of the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Lt. Gen. Zervakis attended the IDC 2023 Conference which was addressed by the Minister of State responsible for Defense Affairs, Mohammed Bin Ahmad Al Bawardi, with whom the Chief had a brief meeting.
The Conference featured distinguished speakers from several countries, as well as representatives of the academic community and the defense industry. They highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges in defense and security issues with the introduction of artificial intelligence and other cutting edge technologies.
The Chief of National Guard also attended the opening ceremony of the IDEX & NAVDEX 2023 Exhibitions and visited Greece’s booth, where he was briefed by the Director General of the General Directorate of Defense Equipment and Investments, Vice-Admiral Aristidis Alexopoulos.
He also gave an interview to “Nation Shield” magazine and referred to the bilateral cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus with the UAE, pointing out that the two countries have common interests and challenges and the cooperation that has developed in political and military sector is mutually beneficial.
Zervakis met with UAE Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Issa Al Mazrouei and they both expressed their will for the implementation of the Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program (PDAS) for 2023, signed on December 22, 2022 in Nicosia. They also examined the possibility of designing other actions of mutual interest.
A meeting was also held with the Chiefs of the Navy and Air Force, Rear Admiral Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan and Rear Admiral Ibrahim Nassar Mohammed Al Alawi and the former Chief of General Staff and current Military Affairs Adviser to the President of the UAE, Lieutenant General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi.
On the sidelines of these conferences, Chief of National Guard met with the Vice-President and Minister of Defense of Serbia, Milos Vucevic and the Chief of Defense of Egypt, Lieutenant General Osama Asker.
With Asker he discussed the security challenges in the region and the mutual benefits of the bilateral and trilateral agreements and cooperation between Cyprus, Egypt and Greece.
He also met with the Chief of Staff of Oman’s National Guard Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Khamis bin Abdullah Al Ra? Eesi and he extended an invitation to participate in the “ARGONAUTIS – 2023” exercise, which will take place in May in Cyprus.
Zervakis visited also the Martyrs and Heroes Memorial “Wahat Al Karama”, where he was received by Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, and laid a Wreath. He also had the chance to tour the American University of the Emirates and give a lecture.
Source: Cyprus News Agency