The German Defence Minister has made an official visit to the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) for the first time today. The visit of Mrs. Christine Lambrecht took place on November 6 and the consultations that followed are a milestone for the deepening of bilateral relations between Cyprus and Germany. The German Minister was accompanied by members of the German Parliament.

The German Defence Minister arrived in Cyprus by corvette “Erfurt” where part of the German UNIFIL interim force in Lebanon is stationed. The Minister discussed with the personnel upon her arrival in Limassol and was then taken to Nicosia for a meeting with the Defence Minister of the Republic of Cyprus.

The two Ministers discussed issues related to the defence sector, extensively analyzed the prospects for deepening our defence cooperation and exchanged views on current European and regional security issues, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Mr. Petridis informed his counterpart about the Turkish revisionist policy in the region, illegal actions and claims, the instrumentalization of immigration and the regional initiatives of the RoC aiming at peace and stability.

He also conveyed the full support of the Cypriot Government to the German detachment that has been hosted in Cyprus since 2006 and is responsible for maritime surveillance within the framework of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The important facilities provided to the German Navy are the contribution of the RoC to the effective execution of its mission, in accordance with Security Council resolutions. 

In turn, the German Defence Minister thanked the Republic of Cyprus for the facilities it provides the German Navy with for the purposes of UNIFIL, stating that the working groups are working on the active implementation of the bilateral defence agreement signed in May.

The German Minister also visited parts of the green line, stating in a post that she visited the “Charly” checkpoint, named after the model in Berlin.

Pictures that are reminiscent of their own history – Defense Minister Lambrecht visited the "Greenline" in Nicosia today with her Cypriot counterpart Petrides. At the border, they visited the checkpoint "Charly", named after the famous model in #Berlin. pic.twitter.com/0GvAJ1DxVM

— Verteidigungsministerium (@BMVg_Bundeswehr) November 6, 2022

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