**Palmas Acclaims EU’s New Arms Deal with Canada**
Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas expressed strong support on Monday for the recent adoption of an agreement between the Council of the European Union and Canada. This agreement permits Canadian companies and products to participate in procurement under the EU's €150 billion Security Action for Europe (Safe) defence programme.
Palmas emphasized the significance of Canada's involvement, stating, “Canada is one of the European Union’s closest allies. Having Canada joining Safe highlights the deep trust between us and sets a strong precedent for how the EU can collaborate with key strategic partners to safeguard our collective future.”
With this agreement, Canada becomes the first non-European nation to engage in the Safe programme, a milestone that follows the European Parliament's ratification of the deal three weeks prior. The Safe programme is designed to enhance the defence capabilities of EU member states, which include 27 countries, as well as the four European Free Trade Association states—namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—and Ukraine.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney previously remarked on the importance of this agreement, noting that “in a dangerous and divided world, Canada and Europe are elevating our defence partnerships to rapidly procure new equipment and technology, accelerate NATO targets, and catalyse tremendous opportunities for our defence manufacturers.” He further asserted that Canada’s participation in the Safe programme would address critical reliability gaps, broaden markets for Canadian suppliers, and attract European defence investments into Canada.
In a related development, earlier this month, the Cypriot government and the European Commission finalized a loan agreement that will enable Cyprus to access over €1 billion in funding through the Safe programme. This makes Cyprus the sixth EU member state to secure such funding, following similar agreements signed by Poland, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, and Belgium last month.
Palmas highlighted that the funding would allow the National Guard of Cyprus to acquire military hardware to meet its priorities through 2030. He noted that the establishment of the Safe programme comes at a time when the European Union faces significant challenges in addressing defence shortcomings. He stated, “The mobilisation of equipment programmes and joint procurement programmes is becoming urgent.”
The €150 billion earmarked for joint procurement of advanced weapons systems is anticipated to usher in a new era for European defence, with goals of achieving autonomy, technological superiority, and enhanced resilience.
With the Council of the EU's decision on Monday, Cyprus and other EU member states are now positioned to utilize the funds secured through the Safe programme to procure Canadian military hardware, further strengthening their defence capabilities and international partnerships.