The Chief of the Armed Forces of France, General Thierry Burkhard, paid an official visit to Cyprus on November 29 and 30, at the invitation of the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Democritos Zervakis. During his visit, the intention of Cyprus – France to further deepen strategic cooperation in areas of mutual interest was recorded.
According to an announcement by the Greek National Guard, on November 30, the official reception took place at the Headquarters of the General Staff of the National Guard, followed by a private meeting with the Chief of the National Guard. During the meeting of the two Leaders, the current developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Ukraine were discussed, as well as issues related to security and stability in the wider region.
At the same time, the implementation of the military cooperation program was discussed and the development of multilateral partnerships in the region, such as the Quadrilateral Initiative between Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy. In addition, the joint pursuit of exploiting every possible opportunity for cooperation between the Armed Forces of the two countries was noted.
The visit to the GEEF Headquarters also included information regarding the mission, operational capabilities and challenges faced by the National Guard, as well as extended conversations between the delegations of the two countries during which, among other things, defense cooperation was reviewed, at a strategic level.
In this context, the intention to further deepen strategic cooperation in other areas of mutual interest was recorded, in the context of both Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program, as well as the corresponding Quadrilateral with Greece and Italy, while thanks were expressed for the assistance and support provided by the Republic of Cyprus to the French aeronautical forces deployed in the region.
The General , Thierry Burkhard, also visited the “ANDREAS PAPANDREOU” Air Base, where he was informed about the mission, the project, as well as the capabilities and infrastructures, which can be made available to friendly countries to support aeronautical operations.
The visit of the French Chief concluded with a meeting with the Minister of Defense, Charalambos Petridis, in the presence of the French Ambassador Salina Grenet- Catalano and the Chief of the National Guard.
