US and Cyprus promote bilateral cooperation on defence issues

Cyprus and the US agreed to promote search and rescue issues as part of bilateral cooperation on defence issues.

The decision was taken during the permanent secretary of the ministry of defence, Christos Malikkides’ visit to the US, an official statement said on Sunday.

Malikkides met in Washington with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for European and NATO Policy, James J. Townsend.

During the meeting, held in the presence of the Ambassador of Cyprus to Washington and delegations of the two ministries, issues of common interest were discussed, such as the situation in the wider region of South-Eastern Mediterranean and the unstable geopolitical environment, matters of maritime and energy safety, as well as ways of cooperation for the address of terrorism and new asymmetrical threats.

The permanent secretary also briefed his interlocutor on the latest developments on the Cyprus problem and the course of the negotiations process. In the context of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the area of defence, they agreed to promote search and rescue issues, as well as training and implementation of good practices and expertise.

Malikkides also held meetings with members of the Atlantic Council and officials of the US State Department.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.