The Defence Minister, Charalambos Petrides, is heading to Brussels today to take part in tomorrow’s EU Foreign Affairs / Defence Council. During the Council, EU Defence Ministers will consider current issues and the future of the EU Common Defence and Security Policy and will also attend a working lunch with the Secretary General of NATO.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a meeting of the Governing Council of the European Defence Agency (EDA) will take place before the Council, where Ministers will be invited to exchange views on the steps taken and the roadmap to be followed so as to implement the recommendations of the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD).

It is stated that during the first working session, the Ministers will discuss the ongoing process for the definition of the EU Security and Defence Strategic Compass and will also consider proposals for improving EU Crisis Management capabilities in order to address current security challenges in the region and within the Union.

Then, according to the announcement of the MoD, the Defence Ministers will attend a working lunch with the Secretary General of NATO, during which the upgrading of the cooperation between the EU and NATO on issues and actions of common interest will be discussed.

It is reported that the meeting will end with the second working session, during which the Ministers will present the overall work of the European Union Satellite Center, whose further development and strengthening to the benefit of EU foreign policy and defence will be discussed.

Finally, according to the announcement, the Ministers of Defence are expected to ratify the participation of the USA, Canada and Norway in the Military Mobility of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) program and will adopt EU Conclusions on Security and Defence.

Also read: US Defence Attaché visits the National Guard General Staff