Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas had a bilateral meeting with the chief executive of the European Defence Agency, Jirí Šedivý, in Brussels on Tuesday. Palmas was in Brussels to represent Cyprus in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in its composition of Defence Ministers, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Defence.
At the meeting, Palmas expressed the Republic of Cyprus’ support for the European Defence Agency (EDA) and suggested a holistic approach to capacity building. He referred to the activities of the Ministry of Defence and had an exchange Šedivý.
According to the press release, during the first part of Tuesday’s FAC meeting which consisted of the steering board of the EDA at the ministerial level, the Ministers were briefed on the European Defence Industrial Strategy, and the planning for the development of capabilities related to the defence needs of Member States.
At the Foreign Affairs Council meeting that followed, Ministers were briefed on the situation in Ukraine and the EU’s suppo
rt to the country in the face of the Russian invasion, and discussed future EU and Member State commitments to Ukraine’s safety.
They also discussed the ways in which the EU, within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy, is taking a leading role in peace operations, conflict prevention and the strengthening of international security and peace.
Finally, Ministers were briefed on the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) programmes and the ongoing strategic review process of the institution.
Source: Cyprus News Agency