ΠΡΟΣΦΩΝΗΣΗ
ΥΠΟΥΡΓΟΥ ΑΜΥΝΑΣ
ΚΑΤΑ
ΤΗΝ ΕΝΑΡΞΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΣΚΗΣΗΣ «ΝΕΜΕΣΙΣ 2014»
10
Απρ 14 ώρα 09:45
Your Excellency, Minister....,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors of ....
Distinguished representatives from Greece, the United
States of America and Israel,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I address you at the
start of the NEMESIS 2014 Exercise. As
the newly appointed Minister of Defence, I feel obliged to pay tribute to my
predecessor Minister of Defence, Tasos Mitsopoulos, who passed away so prematurely.
I have to say that the realization of the
NEMESIS Exercise was among his first priorities as Tasos, was always a firm
supporter of the advancement of Cyprus geostrategic role in the region. So, I
believe that today, we will be given a chance to honour his memory with a
superbly executed exercise.
Based on the briefing that I have received on the
capabilities and operation of our Joint Rescue Coordination Center, I have no
doubt that the goals of this multinational exercise will be met.
Even prior to its official commencement, a lot has already
been accomplished and for this I would like to commend everyone who has been
involved in the planning of this exercise.
At the same time, let us not forget that for the
agencies involved in the wider field of marine safety and marine pollution,
this exercise is not an one-off goal. It
is part of a process, a continuous pursuit. NEMESIS 2014 is a large scale
opportunity, to lean and identify valuable lessons in our quest for improvement. I have no doubt that all participants will
grasp this opportunity.
On these lines, I would like to stress the importance
of the exploitation of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone for the
future of our people. We recognize, of course, that the exploitation of our
Exclusive Economic Zone comes with responsibilities, and I would like to assure
you that the Republic of Cyprus is committed to adhering and meeting these new
challenges. In doing so, we are actively pursuing the maximization of
cooperation and coordination of all involved parties, both governmental and
private sector, based on international law and European Union Directives.
The hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean are not
merely an issue of national wealth but could become the catalyst for regional
stability. In this context, I would like
to welcome the participation of the United States, Israel and Greece in this
exercise, countries with which the Republic of Cyprus has privileged relations
and common interests. Dear Ambassadors, let me once more reiterate our strong
commitment to further deepening our bilateral relations, as well as developing common
multilateral actions, always in line with our common responsibility to enhance
the safety and security of our citizens.
I now officially announce the commencement of “NEMESIS
2014” and wish all participants a very successful and safe exercise.
