Cyprus and UAE sign bilateral defence agreement

Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates signed a bilateral defence cooperation programme covering the year 2024 on Thursday.

The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabu by National Guard international relations chief Lt Col Dimitris Panagidis and the UAE Armed Forces’ European Cooperation department head Col Nasser Mahdi Al Alhbabi.

The National Guard said the programme includes, among other things, the conducting of joint exercises and training, as well as the “exchange of best practices and expertise on specific issues.”

They added that the agreement “is part of a network of bilateral and multilateral actions developed by the National Guard … as it has been recognised that modern challenges and threats are common and cross borders.”

Therefore, they said, “their management and treatment requires multilateral and multifaceted action.”