The Director General of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Andreas Louka, accompanied by a delegation of Ministry officials, paid an official visit to Israel from 21 to 24 March, following an invitation by the Director General of SIBAT, Mr. Yair Kulas. In the framework of his visit, Mr. Louka had a meeting with the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Mr. Amir Eshel.
During Mr. Louka's contacts, the importance of bilateral defence cooperation between Cyprus and Israel was reaffirmed, security challenges in the wider region were discussed, as well as the prospects for further deepening cooperation between the two Ministries, both through joint training and armament programmes.
In particular, during the meeting with the Director of the Directorate of International Defence Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in-depth discussions were held on the issues of cooperation in the fields of armaments and research and development.
The Cypriot delegation also visited Israeli defence industry companies in order to be informed in detail about their capabilities and discussed in person common areas of interest and prospects for cooperation.
Before leaving, the Cypriot delegation visited the Yad Vashem Memorial, where the Director General laid a wreath, paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, and signed the visitors' book.
On the same day, the Cypriot delegation visited the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Church of the Resurrection, where the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a private meeting with His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. The Patriarch, after greeting the Cypriot delegation, blessed through them the staff of the Ministry of Defence, wishing that vindication would come to Cyprus.
(MB/EXP)
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