The European Union must do more in the field of defence if it wants to have a geostrategic role and strengthen its strategic autonomy, President Nikos Christodoulides said upon his arrival at the informal meeting of the 27 heads of state at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, stressing that although defence is the responsibility of the member states, “there is a common European interest”.
President Christodoulides also referred to the letter with which 19 Member States, including Cyprus, call for the strengthening of the European Investment Bank’s policies and investments in the field of defence. He further pointed to the recent strengthening of Cyprus’ own defence capabilities, referring to “infrastructure that is also used by the Member States of the European Union”.
Both big states as well as small member states have an important defence industry, he said, pointing out that in Cyprus “in recent years we have an important defence industry”. The defence industry in member states, he noted, is something “we have to support and progress through cooperation”.
Speaking immediately upon his arrival, President Christodoulides expressed the hope that today’s debate “will lay the foundations for taking concrete decisions to strengthen the defence of the European Union.”
As he explained, the leaders will have an open debate on four issues: “transatlantic relations following the election of the US President and the first signs of the policies he will pursue, the European Union’s relations with NATO, relations with the United Kingdom and, of course, defence and security issues”.
On the issue of security in particular, President Christodoulides stressed that in the European Union “we have to do more in the field of defence if we want to play a geostrategic role, if we want to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European Union.”
“The defence of the European Union is the exclusive responsibility of the Member States”, the President stressed, noting however that “there is a common European interest and I believe that today we will lay the ground for the next important steps in strengthening the defence sector.”
President Christodoulides referred to specific ideas that are being discussed, and recalled that the Republic of Cyprus “was among the Member States that approached the European Investment Bank to finance the European Union in this area”, referring to a letter by 19 Member States to the EIB, in which they call for strengthening policies and investments for the EU defence industry, including through increased funds and lending.
“As a Member State, we are strengthening the Republic of Cyprus’ defence capabilities, its power of deterrence” he added, referring to “the Andreas Papandreou Air Base, the military base at Mari, infrastructure that is also used by the EU Member States”.
“There is an important (defence) industry both in larger states, but also in small states, as in Cyprus (where) in recent years we have an important defence industry, which we have to support and progress through cooperation,” he concluded.
Source: Parikiaki.com
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