Cyprus Defence Minister Savvas Angelides supports including the Eastern Mediterranean as an area for EU naval deployment due to the energy search there and Turkey’s illegal activities in the region.
EU Defence Ministers discussed during an informal meeting, in Helsinki, ways to coordinate the deployment of their naval forces in “areas of interest” as part of a common security policy.
Speaking to CNA, Angelides said that the discussion to coordinate EU naval forces is at an early stage and aims at promoting security and stability in certain regions of the bloc
In his intervention, Angelides asked his counterparts to agree to specific criteria in order to designate “areas of interests” where the presence of EU navy would be justified.
He argued in favour of including the Eastern Mediterranean, by making reference to the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus and the ongoing development of hydrocarbon resources.
Resources in the East Med provide an alternative energy source for the EU with security of supply a priority issue for the Union.
Angelides briefed his counterparts about Ankara’s illegal drilling activities in the region.
He said piracy, terrorism, as well as to migrant flows in the region, are criteria that could be used to characterize the East Med as an “area of interest” to deploy naval forces.
Greece, as well as other member states were positive on these suggestions, while France also highlighted the issue of the Eastern Mediterranean, Angelides said.
He added that these ideas need to be evaluated by the working groups, while the discussion at the informal meeting serves the purpose of providing political impetus.
Finland’s EU Presidency also presented a scenario for a drill, concerning hybrid threats, which according to Angelides, is not very different from what is happening in Cyprus with Turkish activities in the EEZ.
Missile deal
On the side-lines of the Helsinki meeting, Angelides together with his counterparts from France, Florence Parly, and Belgium, Didier Reynders, signed a Letter of Intent on the development of BLOS (Beyond Line of Sight Land Battlefield Missile System).
Angelides told CNA that the signing of this Letter of Intent aims at further developing this system, in the framework of PESCO.
According to PESCO website, the project aims at developing a new generation medium range BLOS Land Battlefield missile systems family.
The output is intended to be integrated on an extensive variety of platforms (ground-to-ground and air-to-ground) and to provide integrated and autonomous target designation capability.
The project includes joint training and formation aspects, while a dedicated “users’ club” is envisioned, to develop a common European doctrine on BLOS firing.
Angelides also met his Italian counterpart Elisabetta Trenta, and according to a post on twitter, they had a “constructive discussion about practical ways to upgrade military and defence cooperation”.
