It is with great pleasure that I am here with you today and I thank the President and the members of the Association for the opportunity to welcome the annual General Assembly of the Cyprus Army Officers' Association.
It is with great satisfaction that I follow your actions and applaud the initiatives you are taking to achieve the objectives set with the establishment of the Association, which are aimed at the welfare of its members and the improvement of the employment conditions of the National Guard officers.
Over the past two years, as Minister of Defence, I have met several times with the representatives of the Officers' Association and I believe that I now have a very good knowledge of your concerns, your demands and concerns, and in general the challenges faced by the officers of the National Guard.
We have discussed in private meetings several of these issues and I assure you that on behalf of the Ministry of Defence there is all goodwill to find solutions with the main focus on the progress, smooth operation and development of the National Guard.
So far I admit that the cooperation is quite constructive. I look forward to its continuation, so that problems and difficulties that arise can be resolved as soon as possible. I should mention that, in order to meet the building needs of your association, space has been provided in a government building.
Dear Officers,
I am well aware that officers are the backbone of the National Guard, as they are charged with demanding tasks that require conscientiousness, a high level of training, mental fortitude, and dedication.
The professionalism and consistency that distinguish the vast majority of National Guard officers is a source of satisfaction and deep appreciation for both the Ministry of Defence and the State.
Besides, as I have repeatedly stated, the National Guard relies on the skills and dedication of its personnel.
The high level of personnel is a strong factor in order for it to continue to perform its role as a force of deterrence against any aggression.
Towards this end, as the Ministry of Defence, we have set objectives which aim to strengthen the defence of the country, as well as to improve the functioning of the Ministry's structures. We have set priorities and through a collective effort we aim to achieve the desired results.
With regard to the strengthening of the Operational Capability of the National Guard, we are steadily implementing the armament programme drawn up in cooperation with the General Staff, in a continuous effort to modernise and upgrade its deterrent capability against threats from the ground, air and sea.
As regards the strengthening of the Operational Capability of the National Guard, we are steadily implementing the armament programme drawn up in cooperation with the General Staff, in a continuous effort to modernise and upgrade its deterrent capability against threats from the ground, air and sea.
It is worth noting that this year's budget is at its highest financial level in 20 years. The efficient management of financial resources can be seen in the absorption rate of the budget, which increased from 94% to 96%.
In terms of Defence Cooperation Relations with other states, in an effort to arm ourselves against the ever-increasing Turkish challenges and emerging asymmetric threats, we have developed bilateral and trilateral partnerships in the fields of defence and security with 16 regional and European countries and other major actors in the region, such as the UK and the US. It goes without saying that our cooperation with Greece is at its highest possible level.
A very important development in the implementation of this strategy is the quadrilateral cooperation between Cyprus, Greece, Italy and France, which in addition to strengthening the outward-looking policy of the Republic of Cyprus has yielded direct and tangible results in the effort to define the Eastern Mediterranean region as an area of interest for the EU.
The extroversion of our defence policy is an undeniable reality and an outgrowth of our upgraded level of ambition to make Cyprus a reliable partner, with a more active role in matters of defence cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Large-scale regional, bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral exercises, co-training and personnel exchanges contribute to the development of interoperability, a spirit of cooperation and the consolidation of conditions of security, stability, development and prosperity.
In addition, we have upgraded cooperation with the United States. In addition to the complete lifting of the embargo, which is a major diplomatic success, we are continuously participating in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. Through this program, we provide training on military practices and strengthen military and broader cooperation by training National Guard personnel in the US.
We have also concluded a Bilateral Agreement for the Provision of Services and Administration (ACSA), while on 30 September 2022, the US Department of State announced our country's membership in the State Partnership Programme (SPP) with the State of New Jersey. A program that will provide the National Guard with the opportunity to acquire expertise, scientific knowledge and continuous access to modern developments in military matters.
Another important step was the signing of a bilateral cooperation program with Germany and the appointment of a Defense Attaché at our Embassy in Berlin for the first time.
Regarding our actions and plans for the Implementation of Innovative and Reforming Actions, it is worth noting that we support financially and administratively the participation of Cypriot entities in 17 programmes of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and the European Defence Fund (EDF).
In cooperation with the Research and Innovation Foundation (R&I), we have recently launched new research and development projects in dual-use technologies, drawing a total of EUR 3 million from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Reform actions have been implemented concerning electronic recruitment services such as electronic enlistment, declaration of details of male conscripts reaching the age of 16, application for recruitment of SYOPs, issuance of type A certificate and interconnection with the KEP and KEPO, the Department of Land Registry and the government hub.
The interconnection with the Cyprus Police Force has finally solved the problem of the identification and conscription of unregistered reservists. Characteristically it is mentioned that, since the start of the system for the identification of reservists, a total of 10600 FAPs have been served.
Regarding the Improvement of the Legislative and Regulatory Framework, actions have been taken to combat desertion, which has been reduced to 1.8%, through the possibility given to the CIO by legislation to check, before issuing a health card, whether an athlete meets the necessary recruitment criteria.
Legislation was also implemented to regulate the working hours of members of the National Guard and amendments were passed to the Regulations on the Army of the Republic concerning Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Army to fill identified gaps, with further amendments being prepared for 2023.
3 Brigadier, 6 Colonels, 14 Lieutenant Colonels, 9 Majors were granted to cover administrative needs. We upgraded the graduates of the higher military noncommissioned officers' colleges of the third year, who will now be placed on the A5 (2nd grade) and A6(ii) scales.
In addition, we finally resolved, with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance and the Defence Commission, the pension issue of the Contracted Noncommissioned Officers, while an amendment to the existing legislation was recently passed, which further strengthens the institution of Contracted Officers. It is now possible for those recruited as SYOPs in the National Guard to remain in service until the age of forty-two.
As far as the institution of SYOPs is concerned, we are working on other measures, such as the possibility for them to join a new category of members of the Army after they reach the age of 42. This new category will have a mandatory termination age of 57 years, as is the case for other non-commissioned officers, but will provide for a specific procedure and criteria for the selection of candidates, which will be incorporated in regulations.
Finally, as part of the Ministry's Environmental and Energy Policy, a significant effort is being made to reduce the National Guard's operating costs by utilizing renewable energy sources.
By 2023, 6600 energy-intensive lighting fixtures in National Guard camps will have been replaced with LED lighting fixtures. For the energy saving programme, funding of €19 million has been secured from the European Structural Funds, in particular the Thaleia Programme, for the installation of photovoltaic systems with a total capacity of about 12 MW.
Women and men officers,
The National Guard must be strengthened and modernized in order to cope with the new data and successfully respond to the needs and modern challenges, which is a prerequisite to continue its mission as the main factor in deterring any threat, but also as a factor of stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In this effort, no one is left out. I assure you that the Cypriot state fully recognizes the contribution of the National Guard and applauds the work that the officers perform for the benefit of our country.
With these few thoughts, I would like to wish you every success at your annual general meeting, congratulate you for your contribution over the years and assure you that the Ministry of Defence will always stand by your side, as a supporter, helper and supporter of your work.
Thank you.
(MB/EXP)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
