Publish Date : 08-Mar-2017
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, and Defence, Mr Christoforos Fokaides, participated today, in Brussels, in the deliberations of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), in Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence composition. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, Mrs Federica Mogherini, presided over the meeting of the Council.
The deliberations of the Council started with a working breakfast of the Ministers of Defence, during which the strategy for the future of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) was discussed. The Ministers of Defence were also briefed on the missions of the EU in the framework of CSDP.
In his intervention, Minister Fokaides announced the creation of ZENON Coordination Center in Larnaka, a project completed with national and European financing, highlighting that the main mission of the Center is to provide the possibility to effectively implement and manage the missions of human character, contributing to the European and international efforts to address the increased common threats and control of the migration flow, enhancing the security architecture of the EU in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Center will be constantly ready to be used in emergency situations by both the European partners and the EU itself, in the framework of the promotion of the goals of the Common Security and Defence Policy.
Then, the common meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence was held, during which security and defence issues were discussed, following the Conclusions of the European Council in December 2016.
The implementation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Action Plan, as well as the development of permanent and independent military infrastructures for the management and the control of the EUs non military missions, were examined.
In his intervention, Minister Fokaides welcomed the steps taken for the deepening of the defence cooperation in Europe, stressing that, in order to address the new threats, the common defence structures should be enhanced.
Finally, a text of Conclusions was adopted, which will be further discussed and approved during the deliberations of the European Council in 9-10 March 2017.
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