The Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Vasilis Palmas, and the Assistant Secretary of Defence of the United States of America for International Security Affairs, Dr. Celeste Wallander, as a sign of the joint commitment of the United States of America and the Republic of Cyprus to further upgrade and deepen their relationship between them, today co-signed the road map of their bilateral defence cooperation.

At the preceding meeting, a wide range of issues were discussed, including the security situation in Cyprus and the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, as well as the situation in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, with the conflict in Israel and the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus to create a humanitarian corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In this context, the United States played a decisive role in implementing the aid plan and providing logistical support, while Cyprus emphasized its close cooperation with other states and organizations. The overall stability and security of Europe and the eastern Mediterranean are of vital importance to the Republic of Cyprus and the United States. 

The complexity and evolving nature of the security challenges in this region calls for vigilance, commitment, and close defence and security cooperation between partners to ensure the maintenance of peace, stability, principles of democracy, and the rule of law.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus and the US Department of Defence reaffirm their commitment to work together to address current and future international security problems through the signing of a Bilateral Defense Cooperation Road Map. 

The Roadmap establishes a framework to more effectively respond to humanitarian crises and to better understand and address key security issues, including the impact of climate change on national security, countering malicious acts, and developing interoperability between the two countries’ military forces. 

The ultimate desired end result is that all efforts under the Roadmap aim to promote stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Enhanced defence cooperation between the two Defence Ministries is an opportunity for both sides to better prepare and support mutually beneficial objectives in the eastern Mediterranean.

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