The government of Cyprus has officially approved a plan to buy new defence equipment. It will use money from a major European Union programme called SAFE. The Cabinet agreed to the plan on Thursday. Cyprus will send its official request to the European Commission on November 30.
This EU programme allows Cyprus to get long-term loans with low interest. The total amount available is €1.2 billion. The Defence Minister, Vasilis Palmas, announced the decision. He was very clear that the new systems are only for defence. "Under no circumstances do the armaments programmes on the list concern weapons systems with an offensive posture," he said. "They are purely for defensive purposes."
Minister Palmas explained that this move is very important for national security. He reminded people that "Cyprus is an occupied country for the last 51 years." The government believes it must update its defence capabilities. The SAFE programme was created by the EU after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Its goal is to help EU countries buy equipment together and become stronger.
The minister did not name the exact equipment for security reasons. However, he said Cyprus will work with many partner countries, not just big ones like France and Germany. The next step is sending the plan to Brussels. The European Commission will then review it. The first payments of money are expected in early 2026. Finally, the Cypriot parliament must approve how the loans are used in the national budget. This is a key step for Cyprus to improve its defence within the European framework.