The Cyprus-U.S. defence cooperation was at the centre of discussions held by Minister of Defence Vasilis Palmas on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Minister Palmas said that his participation in the conference allowed him to conduct bilateral meetings with foreign ministers, addressing both bilateral relations and broader geopolitical developments in Europe and worldwide.

One of the most significant meetings on the second day of the conference was with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence David Baker, where they discussed Cyprus’ inclusion in U.S. defence programs such as Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Excess Defence Articles (EDA), and military training and equipment assistance programs for foreign security forces.

Minister Palmas also held talks with an aide to the Deputy Assistant Secretary regarding the upgrade of the Mari Naval Base and the Andreas Papandreou Air Base, as well as the implementation of the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Roadmap signed last September.

When asked whether there were any shifts in U.S. policy following changes in the U.S. administration, Palmas assured that “everything is fine.” He further noted that U.S. officials provided guidance on the most efficient procedures for Cyprus to acquire military equipment under these programs. He added that they were very helpful both in the discussions and in the practical implementation of the programs.

In addition, the Minister also had discussions with his Armenian counterpart and was scheduled to meet the German Deputy Minister of Defence and the Minister of Defence of Montenegro. He was also invited to a working lunch with the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, alongside a select group of other defence ministers.

European unease over U.S. Vice President speech

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Responding to a question about U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the conference, Palmas acknowledged that it had caused discomfort among European allies. He noted that Vance’s remarks on democracy in Europe and other policy issues had sparked considerable debate and were expected to dominate discussions in the coming days.

Asked whether European leaders appeared united in their response to the speech, Palmas stated that while there was general consensus and solidarity among EU members, a sense of unease was also evident. He expressed confidence that EU institutions would provide appropriate responses to Vance’s statements.

Source: Parikiaki.com