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It is with great pleasure and joy that I welcome the Minister of Defence of Austria, Ms Klaudia Tanner and the members of her delegation.
Cyprus and Austria are two member states of the European Union, which share common ideas on many European issues. We also share a strong bilateral relationship in the fields of Defence and Security.
I had the opportunity to express to my Austrian counterpart our deep appreciation for Austria's long-standing commitment and contribution to UNFICYP. A contribution that is nowadays more important than ever, given the increasing challenges from the Turkish Occupation Forces along the ceasefire line.
In the same vein, we discussed Turkey's escalating provocations and illegal activities in Varosha, Rizokarpaso, as well as in Cyprus' EEZ and maritime zones, national airspace and Nicosia FIR. Blatantly disregarding the calls of the international community, Turkey is continuing its plans unabated, with the aim of creating a new fait accompli. The international community cannot remain inactive.
We then examined a number of issues of European interest such as migration and border security, as well as a wide range of regional and other issues from our common agenda, mainly in the context of security and defence, in a spirit of mutual understanding. We both had the opportunity to attend the last meeting of EU Defence Ministers at which the text of the Strategic Compass was discussed. We look forward to a dialogue that will lead to increased strategic autonomy, resilience and capacity of the EU to act for the benefit of its Member States and its citizens.
We also noted with satisfaction that our bilateral cooperation is at a good level. In this context, we discussed ways to further strengthen our mutually beneficial defence cooperation in order to create additional opportunities and prospects for our Armed Forces personnel. I am particularly pleased to note that our respective Military Academies are cooperating to jointly promote training activities related to the EU's Common Defence and Security Policy. Next May, we are expected to jointly host with the Austrian Military Academy in Cyprus the basic training programme for CSDP, with the participation of all EU Member States and states of the Middle East region.
In conclusion, I had the opportunity to discuss with the Austrian Minister of Defence the current situation in Ukraine and express our concern about the accumulation of troops on the border with Russia, noting the need to exhaust all possibilities for finding a solution through dialogue and diplomatic actions.
Dear Klaudia,
Your visit comes at a very critical time, not only for the Republic of Cyprus, but also for Europe in general. Turkey's continued provocative behaviour and illegal actions in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean region are testing the credibility and ability of the European Union to effectively protect its vital interests, as well as the sovereign rights of its Member States.
Before giving you the floor, I would like to thank you warmly once again for your visit to Cyprus during this challenging period.
(NΓ/ΣΧ)
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