Cyprus Expresses Willingness to Strengthen Defense Co-op with Egypt

The Minister of Defence of Cyprus, Michalis Giorgallas, and the Egyptian Defence Attaché, Staff Colonel Pilot Mohamed Yousif Abdelmaged stressed their will to further strengthen the strategic defence cooperation between the two countries, during a reception on the occasion of the Egyptian Armed Forces Day and the 50th anniversary of the 6th of October Victory.

The Egyptian Defence Attaché stressed the importance of “the fiftieth anniversary of the great October Victory, which restored the Egyptian military’s prestige and dignity by liberating and restoring the occupied land and calling for real peace in the region built on justice and good neighbouring” and paid tribute to all the righteous martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their homeland. He also saluted “the Egyptian people for their persistence as their awareness and support to the Armed Forces were the decisive factor that achieved this glorious victory.”

Staff Col. Pilot Abdelmaged stressed that “Egypt has never sought wars or conflicts in order to achieve illegal ambitions or unlawfully seize the property and capabilities of others, but it always seeks to extend the hand of cooperation as a solid approach to achieving good, construction and development,” adding that “the comprehensive development process begins in all fields in light of close cooperation and mutual respect for the rights of neighbouring countries to live in safety and share wealth in accordance with international conventions. The manifestations of prosperity in Egypt are also represented by the giant economic projects that restore Egypt to its leading position in the region with the help of its great brothers from the Arab and foreign countries.”

At the same time the Defence Attaché said that “the goals achieved to support the common interests between our two countries during a short period of intense work in all fields of the military cooperation were based on solid foundations and principles built on the reality of friendship and our common desire to spread a culture of peace and confront the forces of violence and extremism that our region has witnessed recently, and the reality of sincere understandings between political leaders in the two countries.”

In closing, the Defence Attaché extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Cypriot Ministry of Defence “for the openness, complete transparency and commitment in achieving the goals as we aspire to complete the honourable process of cooperation between our two countries”.

On his part, Minister of Defence Michalis Giorgallas congratulated the Government and the people of the Arab Republic of Egypt on behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Cyprus, stressing that his presence there “proves the willingness of our two countries to further strengthen our strategic defence partnership. Also, it highlights the bonds of friendship between our people throughout the centuries. These relations are

based on mutual respect, common interests and our common inspiration for security and prosperity in our region”.

The Minister underlined that “in order to address the complex of regional and global challenges of the 21th century, it is imperative to safeguard the mutual friendship and partnership that we have established over the past years,” adding that today’s common challenges and threats can only be addressed with professional and highly trained Armed Forces which possess the necessary operational capability to cope in the modern battlefield. The ability of the Armed Forces to address potential threats from a wide range of opposers creates the necessary security environment in which a nation can thrive”.

The Minister also stressed that “our efforts should be to move beyond mere national objectives and to look at how a multilateral approach can promote peace and security in our region. To this end, Cyprus cooperates closely with likeminded states, such as the Arab Republic of Egypt, in the framework of international law and good neighbourly relations”. He further extended the gratitude and appreciation of Cyprus and its people to Egypt for its ongoing cooperation and friendship and for its “crucial role in maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the wider Middle East”.

The Minister of Defence paid tribute and glory “to those who sacrificed their lives to keep your great nation independent.” “Also, I express our respect to the military institution that contributed to making the Egyptian people proud: the Egyptian Armed Forces that celebrate tonight. I look forward to further developing our beneficial cooperation for the generations to come,” he concluded.