-
.
- Ελληνικά
The Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Michael Yiorgallas, paid an official visit to the United Kingdom from 20 to 22 November 2023.
The official reception he received reflects the upgrading of our countries' cooperation in the fields of defence and security, as well as the common intention to further strengthen it. The Minister met with his British counterpart Rt Hon Grant Shapps, the Minister of State for Defence Earl Timothy Minto, who is also responsible for climate change, and the Chief of the Armed Forces Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.
During the meetings, bilateral cooperation issues, the latest developments in Ukraine, the security situation in the Middle East and the challenges posed by the current humanitarian crisis were discussed.
The role played by the Republic of Cyprus in the region, its contribution to civilian evacuation operations and the initiative to establish a secure, monitored sea corridor for the transport of humanitarian aid to Gaza were noted.
During the meetings, Mr. Minister had the opportunity to brief the British side on the Turkish provocations in the buffer zone and to reaffirm the intention of the Republic of Cyprus to continue providing humanitarian assistance and training in Ukraine in the framework of the EUMAM (European Union Military Assistance Mission) Ukraine.
During his stay in London, Mr Yiorgallas also had a meeting with representatives of the Cypriot community in the UK.
At the end of the meetings, the Defence Minister made the following statement to the media. Mr Grant Shapps in a special meeting, as this is the first time that the British Government has welcomed the Defence Minister of the Republic of Cyprus with a statutory ceremony.
In recent years, our countries have made significant progress in strengthening cooperation in the fields of Defence and Security, making the Republic of Cyprus a reliable partner for the UK.
During our meeting we had the opportunity to discuss a number of issues. We referred to the situation in the Middle East, as it is taking shape following Israel's operations in Gaza. Our discussion focused on the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus to establish a humanitarian corridor through which aid can be channelled to the Gaza Strip. I noted Britain's willingness to consider ways in which it could contribute, participate and support this effort.
We also discussed the situation in Cyprus and the Cyprus problem. I briefed my British counterpart on the Turkish provocations in the buffer zone and all that happened at Pyla last August and expressed the Republic of Cyprus' demand for the support and contribution of the British Government to the effort to implement the memorandum of understanding originally agreed between the two sides and the United Nations.
Our meeting also addressed the further strengthening and deepening of our bilateral relations and we agreed that there will be maximum consultation and cooperation in the event that an evacuation of civilians from the Lebanese area is required.
I also had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of State for Defence with responsibility for climate change, Mr. Earl Timothy Minto, with whom we exchanged views on the important issue of the operational resilience and effectiveness of the Armed Forces on climate change."
Asked by Mr. Asked whether the British Bases should be used as a base in the event of Britain becoming involved in the war, the Minister said that he expressed to his counterpart the Republic of Cyprus' disapproval of the information that exists in the British Parliament that the British Bases are used as a base for military operations and received from the UK Defence Minister the relevant explanations in order to justify London's position.
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
