Egypt, Cyprus Agree to Strengthen Military Cooperation

Askar met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, in the presence of the Cypriot Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and a number of officials and senior leaders of the armed forces. (Egypt’s military spokesperson)
Askar met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, in the presence of the Cypriot Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and a number of officials and senior leaders of the armed forces. (Egypt’s military spokesperson)
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Egypt, Cyprus Agree to Strengthen Military Cooperation

Askar met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, in the presence of the Cypriot Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and a number of officials and senior leaders of the armed forces. (Egypt’s military spokesperson)
Askar met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, in the presence of the Cypriot Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and a number of officials and senior leaders of the armed forces. (Egypt’s military spokesperson)

Lieutenant-General Osama Askar, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, concluded on Saturday an official visit to Cyprus, where he discussed the means to consolidate military cooperation.

The military spokesman for the Egyptian Armed Forces said that Askar met Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in the presence of the Cypriot Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, and a number of officials and senior leaders of the armed forces.

In a statement, the spokesman said that the Cypriot president praised the relations with Egypt and the convergence of views between the two countries, especially with regard to the development of bilateral military cooperation.

Anastasiades praised Egypt's influential and effective role, which he said aims to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and the region.

The Egyptian military spokesman said that Askar met with Charalambos Petrides, Minister of Defense of Cyprus. He stressed to him “the need to continue coordination between Egypt and Cyprus to achieve more cooperation in the defense and security fields, joint exercises, and exchange of experiences between the two countries’ armed forces.”

Petrides, for his part, pointed to the “importance of coordination and joint action to face challenges, in order to achieve stability in the region.”

The visit saw a session of talks between the Egyptian and Cypriot delegations, which touched on a number of issues of common interest.



EU Could Lift Some Syria Sanctions Quickly

FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
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EU Could Lift Some Syria Sanctions Quickly

FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
FILED - 30 September 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a press conference at the Pine Residence, the official residence of the French ambassador to Lebanon. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

European Union sanctions in Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly, France's foreign minister said Wednesday.
The United States on Monday issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months after the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule to try to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the EU could take a similar decision soon without giving precise timing, while adding that lifting more political sanctions would depend on how Syria's new leadership handled the transition and ensured exclusivity.
"There are other (sanctions), which today hinder access to humanitarian aid, which hinder the recovery of the country. These could be lifted quickly," said Barrot, who met Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday with Germany's foreign minister.
"Finally, there are other sanctions, which we are discussing with our European partners, which could be lifted, but obviously depending on the pace at which our expectations for Syria regarding women and security are taken into account."
Three European diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity said the EU would seek to agree to lift some sanctions by the time the bloc's 27 foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Jan. 27.
Two of the diplomats said one aim was to facilitate financial transactions to allow funds to return to the country, ease air transport and lessen sanctions targeting the energy sector to improve power supplies.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available two or three hours per day in most areas. The caretaker government says it aims to provide electricity for up to eight hours per day within two months.
The US waivers allow some energy transactions and personal remittances to Syria until July 7, but do not remove any sanctions.