Cyprus joins EU arms buying push to help Ukraine

Cyprus will continue its full support and solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, Defence Minister Michael Georgallas said on Wednesday during an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Stockholm.

During the meeting, Ministers had the opportunity to be briefed by their Ukrainian counterpart on the latest developments in Ukraine, while an exchange of views took place between the member states on the prospects of EU supporting Ukraine by providing materials to meet its immediate needs, a Defence Ministry press release says.

It is underlined that the Cypriot side assured that it will continue its full support and solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, while noting its willingness to contribute and provide support to Ukraine to the extent of its capabilities, through its support to Operation EUMAM Ukraine.

It is added that at the working lunch the Defence Ministers had the opportunity to exchange views on broader security and defence issues in the periphery of Europe in the presence of NATO Secretary General, UN Deputy Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations and representatives of the European Parliament.

On the sidelines of the Summit Georgallas had the opportunity to meet and hold talks with a number of counterparts from EU Member States with which the Republic of Cyprus has bilateral defence cooperation agreements, with the Executive Director of the European Defence Agency Jiří Šedivý, with whom he exchanged views on cooperation issues in terms of research and innovation capabilities development, as well as with the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.