16.12.2024.

Serbian Minister of Defence meets with Cypriot counterpart

Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić met with the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Vasilis Palmas, in Belgrade today.

After the two countries’ national anthems were played as part of the welcoming ceremony conducted by the Honour Guard, the two delegations held a meeting.

Today’s meeting discussed the political and security situation in the region and the world, as well as the defence cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Cyprus.

Minister Gašić said that it was easy to talk with sincere and good friends and thanked Cyprus on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Defence and the entire Serbian nation for its principled position with regard to keeping our southern province, Kosovo and Metohija, as an integral part of the Republic of Serbia.

- Thank you for your principled stance, thank you for the help you provide to Serbia on its path to the EU membership. Among the topics we discussed today was military to military, military-educational, and military-technical cooperation, which must significantly increase in proportion in the period to come - Minister Gašić said.

According to him, high-level visits like this provide opportunities to develop plans for the next year, to a much larger extent than in previous years.

- We have exchanged a lot of important information about what is happening in both the Mediterranean region and the Western Balkans. We have also discussed the cooperation between our special forces. Of course, it is easy to talk with sincere and good friends - said Minister Gašić.

Expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality, Minister Palmas pointed out that the meeting was a confirmation of the exceptionally good and long-standing relationship between our two countries. According to him, the two nations are linked together by brotherhood and close friendly and historical ties, shared cultural heritage, and deep compassion for each other amidst common challenges our countries face.

- Our fruitful security and defence cooperation is based on trust, respect and mutual understanding. I am confident that our talks will intensify and strengthen those ties. Today, Minister Gašić and I had a very constructive exchange of opinions on a number of matters of mutual interest. I conveyed Cyprus’s unequivocal position regarding the non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo. For us, the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty are inalienable and indisputable - said Minister Palmas and added that Cyprus would make every effort to support Serbia's accession to the European Union.