The Ministry of Defence and the government of the Republic of Cyprus aim at contributing towards peace, security and stability in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, Minister of Defence Demetris Eliades stressed on Wednesday.
Welcoming guests at a reception he hosted for military attaches serving in Cyprus, to usher in the new year, Eliades expressed the wish that 2012 will be the year of freedom and the reunification for Cyprus, which has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
He underlined that 2012 is also important in the sense that “we need to assist the peoples in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean to develop democratic societies and states”.
“The Ministry as well as the government of the Republic want to contribute towards peace, security and stability in the region,” he pointed out, noting at the same time that to achieve this goal the Ministry of Defence looks forward to developing and enhancing cooperation with all military attaches in Cyprus.
“Let us unite our forces and our efforts for peace, justice and prosperity for our peoples and for the peoples of the world” he said.
Eliades expressed his appreciation to all military attaches for their cooperation with the Ministry of Defence in an effort to maintain conditions of peace, security and stability in the region based on international law.