The UK Armed Forces have 'a long-standing and fruitful' bilateral defence relationship with the Cypriot Armed Forces, British Defence Minister James Heappey said in response to a written ministerial question.
Tom Hunt, the Conservative MP for Ipswich, asked the Defence Secretary whether his Department had taken recent steps to increase the number of joint training exercises between the British and Cypriot Armed Forces.
In response, Heappey pointed to the UK regularly participating in joint exercises with the Cypriot Armed Forces, including Exercise APHRODITE SHIELD earlier this year and annual participation in Exercises ARGONAUT, NEMESIS and CAMBRIAN PATROL.
He added that the UK Armed Forces' participation in joint exercises with the Cypriot Armed Forces is driven through the Bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme.
First signed in 2016, and reviewed annually at annual, 'the implementation of the BDCP has resulted in the growth of our bilateral defence relationship with the Republic of Cyprus,' the minister said.
'We continue to explore opportunities to deepen our co-operation across the breath of defence, including through joint training exercises,' Heappey concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency