On July 22-23, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Bankov paid a working visit to the Republic of Cyprus.

During the visit, the State Secretary of the MFA met with Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Andreas Kakouris, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance George Panteli, Director of the EU Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Haris Christodoulidou and Director of the International Security Department Antonios Theocharos.

During the meetings, the parties focused on countering the armed Russian aggression, continuing the sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, providing humanitarian assistance by Cyprus, supporting Ukraine's European integration and discussed the development of economic cooperation, attracting Cypriot business and investment to the reconstruction of Ukraine. The parties also exchanged views on the prospects for possible bilateral cooperation in the field of shipping.

During the visit, the Secretary of State also held a separate meeting with the leadership of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives of Cypriot business circles representing the shipping, agricultural and IT sectors on the island. He discussed the prospects of increasing cooperation with Ukrainian companies and investments, in particular in the context of rebuilding the regions of Ukraine affected by Russia's full-scale invasion. Representatives of Cypriot companies were given presentations of investment opportunities in Ukraine and the international platform NAZOVNI. 

A separate element of the program was a visit and meeting with the leadership of the Cyprus Center for Land, Sea and Port Security (CYCLOPS) in Larnaca. CYCLOPS is tasked with conducting training courses and exchanging experience between interested states of Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean region in a number of relevant areas of security, in particular in the field of countering the illegal proliferation of radiological, chemical and biological materials, in ensuring the security of ports and container transportation. Another important area of the Center's activities is cybersecurity. 

The Ukrainian side expressed its interest in launching joint projects and initiatives on the basis of CYCLOPS, taking into account the significant experience and potential of the Ukrainian institutions involved in this area. The parties agreed to work on proposals to identify priority areas of cooperation in these areas.