Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides reiterated on Wednesday the government`s commitment to the collective efforts to address asymmetric threats that are proliferating in the wider region.
Kasoulides and the UK`s Minister for Europe, David Lidington visited today the “HMS Defender” of the Royal Navy, which is currently docked at Limassol Port, visit that in the Cypriot Minister`s words “proves our commitment to the collective efforts to address asymmetric threats that are proliferating in the wider region,” as well as “our unwavering dedication to common values and principles.”
Kasoulides noted that the Cypriot government has aimed at seizing the prospects given by the geographic position of the island for facilitating such efforts for tackling regional challenges and to work with the partners that share this common vision, for stability and prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean.
“Cyprus` contribution has in the last two years been evident in cases of large humanitarian evacuations, in providing a safe refuge, but also in providing the support base for the OPCW and UN joint mission for the evacuation of the chemical weapons from Syria,” he added.
He also recalled that during last summer “we had the chance to cooperate closely with the United Kingdom during the allied efforts to eradicate the horrendous threat of ISIS.”
On his part, Lidington said the joint visit to HMS Defender “is a further demonstration of the increasingly close bilateral cooperation between Cyprus and the United Kingdom on a very wide range of priorities.”
“Ships like this have been actively involved in the defense of the security of the whole of Europe against the threat opposed by ISIL in the Middle East,” the British Minister added.
He said that Cyprus, with a big shipping sector of its own, therefore has an interest with the UK, another maritime country, in measures for example, to protect civilian shipping against piracy in the Indian Ocean.
“So I look forward to the further development of this close mutual cooperation which is to the benefit of the citizens of both United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus,” he concluded.
