President Christodoulides meets EU Defence Commissioner in Athens

On Tuesday, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides met with EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius in Athens on the sidelines of the DEFEA defence conference. The primary focus of the meeting was the strengthening of the EU's mutual assistance clause under Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union. President Christodoulides stated that Cyprus is achieving positive results in security and defence during its current EU Council Presidency. The discussion also covered the ongoing infrastructure upgrades at the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos and the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base in Mari to facilitate usage by European and partner nations. Furthermore, the two officials addressed Cyprus's participation in the SAFE funding instrument, through which the country is set to draw 1.18 billion euros. President Christodoulides highlighted the growth potential of the Cypriot defence industry, citing increased investment interest from countries including India and Israel. Commissioner Kubilius commended the progress achieved under the Cypriot Presidency regarding defence and security policy deliverables.