British Ηigh Commissioner Ric Todd welcomed the support and resolve of the Cypriot Government in tackling the challenges posed by the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.
Todd, who met on Monday with Cypriot Defence Minister Christophoros Phokaides, in Nicosia, has stated to CNA after the meeting that defeating the threat from ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, will require an intelligent and patient approach.
“That is why we must work together with our friends and partners, like Cyprus, to tackle these challenges together” he noted.
The British High Commissioner said moreover that UK forces took action over the weekend, following a decision by the UK Parliament to approve air strikes against jihadists in Iraq.
“The threat from ISIL is real, and to us all” Todd noted, adding, what we see in Iraq and Syria “is the poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism”, and the killing and slaughtering of thousands of people.
He further noted that there should be no doubt about the threat ISIL poses to Europe, adding that “we cannot ignore this threat” that knows no boundaries, colour or creed.
The British top diplomat in Cyprus also refereed to the humanitarian needs of thousands of innocent civilians, who are driven from their home by the brutality of ISIL. “They need our help and the Bases continue to make an invaluable contribution” which will continue as long as it is necessary, Todd concluded.
The meeting at the Ministry of Defence was also attended by the Commander of UK Joint Forces, General Sir Richard Barrons and the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Georgios Basiakoulis.
