Lt Cdr(N) Demetris Kasinis
Head of Defence Diplomacy & International Affairs
Ministry of Defence, Republic of Cyprus
Commander Demetris Kasinis joined the Naval Academy from 1991 to 1995. He attended the Command and
Staff College in 2006 and the Supreme Joint War College in 2017.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Cyprus and Masters of Arts in
International Relations and Security from the University of Macedonia.
During his military career he had various appointments, including Commanding Officer of patrol boats and
Commander of an EXOCET Missiles battery. In 2010 he was a member of the Brussels Support Cell for the EU
Training Mission in Somalia. From January 2012 until December 2012 he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of
the HTF Working Group. From January 2013 until July 2014 he served as Military Assistant to the Military
Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU. From July 2014 until July 2015 he was appointed as the
Deputy Military Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU. From August 2015 until July 2018 he was
appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Cyprus. From August
2018 he is serving in the Ministry of Defence as a Military Adviser (EU Affairs. Since July 2019 he has been
appointed as the Head of the Defence Policy and International Affairs Department.
"Cyprus and Multinational Cooperation"
Marine - related activities contribute to the growth of the Blue Economy and provide new opportunities for
the future development of coastal communities. However, multinational cooperation is vital to achieve
maritime safety and security, which in turn is a precondition for blue growth and jobs.
The EU has adopted its innovative Maritime Security Strategy in June 2014, to protect the Union’s strategic
maritime interests. Moreover, the Union has gained invaluable experiences from its current CSDP maritime
operations, such as Operation Atalanta and EUNAVFORMED Sophia, within which the Republic of Cyprus has
also participated.
The Eastern Mediterranean has gained increased attention, due to the rapid developments in the energy
sector and the discovery of vast natural gas deposits, whilst at the same time the region is characterized by
intense conflicts, as well as threats and challenges.
Cyprus, as a European Union Member State with excellent relations with its neighbours, has pursued trilateral
cooperation with Greece and other regional countries, such as Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Moreover, Cyprus
maintains an active role in the security initiatives of the EU, such as PESCO and MED 7, which have provided
our small country the opportunity to develop defence capabilities through innovative projects, by combining
modern technologies and economies of scale.
However, Cyprus considers natural gas as a tool for cooperation and synergies, which will boost the economy
and create an attractive environment for companies and investors. Therefore Cyprus will proceed with the
energy program, in order to promote prosperity and peace. The activities of Turkey in the EEZ of Cyprus are
both illegal and hostile and attempt to hinder the energy policy and vision of Cyprus.