Cyprus supports the European Union’s timely action in emerging conflicts before they escalate into a crisis, Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides said on Tuesday.

He was speaking after attending the Foreign Affairs Council alongside his European counterparts, chaired by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Brussels.

Petrides said the ministers discussed the implementation of the Strategic Compass, with a focus on the effectiveness of CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) missions and operations.

“As Cyprus, we have supported the European Union’s timely action in emerging conflicts before they escalate into a crisis, as well as the more effective use of the European Peace Facility,” he said after the meeting.

“During a meeting with the European Defence Agency, I supported the creation of an innovation hub, called for the exclusion of defence spending from the budget deficit process, and noted the need to simplify procedures for joint procurement of defence equipment”.

He added that the Ukrainian defence minister briefed via videocall the council on the latest developments related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Once again we unequivocally condemned the Russian invasion and stressed the need to intensify diplomatic efforts for a political dialogue between the two sides to reach a ceasefire”.