France and Cyprus to upgrade military cooperation

The upgrading and broadening of the cooperation between the armed forces of Cyprus and France was the main issue of discussions the Chief of the National Guard, General Demokritos Zervakis during a visit to Paris, at the invitation of the Chief of Staff of the French Army, General Thierry Burkhard.

A statement released by the National Guard upon Zervakis’s return said that the two countries “reaffirmed their dynamic and multi-faceted relations based on shared European values and respect of the international law.”

Zervakis and Burkhard discussed the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region, particularly Turkey’s provocations in the area, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Moreover, the two generals also touched upon a bilateral military cooperation programme involving Cyprus and France that was signed on June 9, which is part of a wider cooperation network among European armed forces.

In that context, Zervakis and Burkhard vowed to strengthen the military cooperation between the two counties in the upcoming months, especially regarding military exercises in the framework of the QUAD Initiative, which involves Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy.

On Monday, Zervakis laid a wreath at the foot of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and met the French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu later that day.

He also visited a global defence and security exhibition called “Eurosatory 2022”, which displayed weapons systems from Europe and the rest fo the world.

During the visit, the chief of the National Guard also met the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of France Dimitrios and Cyprus’ ambassador to France George Siakalli.