Talks in Nicosia

In Nicosia, Peter Gajdoš held talks with the head of the Cypriot Ministry of Defence, Mr Christoforos Fokaides, on the deepening of bilateral cooperation and the Slovak troops' engagement in the UNFICYP mission. In doing so, he built on his June visit to Cyprus, which marked the 15th anniversary of the start of the SVK Armed Forces' operations with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). “We have an interest in furthering the bilateral cooperation in the field of security, including on European Union soil,” he said. He used the occasion to make an offer to the Cyprus National Guard to come and train at the Training Centre Lešť, which is devoted to training the Special Operations Forces (SOF), and at the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Training and Testing Centre Zemianske Kostoľany.

The Cypriot Defence Minister, Mr Christoforos Fokaides, conveyed his appreciation for Slovakia's enduring support in resolving the Cyprus issue, especially for its backing of the bi-communal dialogue. “The Cypriot Government passes on its thanks for SLOVCON's valuable contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus and congratulates Slovakia on its successful completion of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during this difficult period for Europe,” he said. According to him, the visit of the Slovak Minister of Defence has reinforced the SVK-CYP relations. “Our meeting is taking place in times of dramatic security challenges. We must face them together,” he emphasised.

The Ministers exchanged their views on the prevailing problems such as migration, terrorism and extremism. They discussed the options for advancing defence industry cooperation as well.