Nicosia: The Ministry of Defence has welcomed the approval by the European Commission of Cyprus' plan for the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) Regulation, emphasizing that its successful participation confirms the commitment of the Ministry to upgrade, strengthen, and expand the capabilities of the National Guard.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the European Commission approved on January 15 the investment plan of the Republic of Cyprus, amounting to 1.18 billion euros, within the framework of implementing the SAFE Regulation. The investment project is among the first eight approved in the initial batch, with the remaining eleven expected to gain approval in subsequent batches.
It is noted that based on the provisions of the SAFE Regulation, the European Commission will directly forward to the Council proposals for executive decisions, separately for each country. The Council is required to adopt these decisions within four weeks, after which the lending agreement should be concluded. Concurrently, the necessary implementation processes of the programs included in the investment plan are to be carried out at an intensive pace.
The Ministry of Defence reiterated that the successful participation in the SAFE Regulation confirms its commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the National Guard to further strengthen the defence and deterrent power of the Republic of Cyprus. The Ministry also affirmed its ongoing efforts to implement the SAFE Regulation and bolster the defence capacity of Cyprus.