Multiuse naval base at Mari ‘a priority’

A priority of Cyprus is to create a multiuse naval base in Mari, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Monday, announcing a technical study on the project is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Palmas was speaking to CyBC in the morning saying that this is a “priority for the Republic of Cyprus”.

He added that Cyprus has been geopolitically upgraded and that this must be demonstrated in practice, through the ability to support international missions.

Palmas said that the work is being done in consultation with the European Union and that it has already been positively received by the Union’s Internal Market Commissioner, Thierry Breton, at their meeting last week in Nicosia.

The defence minister said that a technical study on the project is underway and that the base, which will also serve Cyprus’ defence forces, will also be used to dock warships of other “friendly” countries.