The final proposal for the establishment and operation of SEA, as approved by the Council of Ministers, was formulated after taking into account and incorporating the views of all political forces, Government Spokesman Mr. Konstantinos Letympiotis said today.
In a statement to the media, the Spokesperson said that “the establishment of the National Security Council (NSC), an advisory body with the mission of serving the National and public interest, is deemed necessary, especially for our country, where the a national issue is also the security problem par excellence of Cyprus. Corresponding National Security Councils, with one name or another and with different responsibilities, have almost all the countries of the European Union, all the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council as well as our neighboring countries in the Eastern Mediterranean (including Turkey ).The mission of the SEA, the establishment of which falls under the pre-election program of the President of the Republic, is the production of thinking and ideas in relation to national security and the submission to the President of the Republic and, through him, to the Council of Ministers, assessments, recommendations and opinions for dealing with threats and fortifying and strengthening the security of the Republic of Cyprus and its people.
The composed and documented opinion of a Body, which will study, as part of its mission, systematically and on a continuous basis the multidimensional security issues will be a valuable and necessary tool for the Head of State in the formulation of the relevant national strategies. The National Council will have the same possibility of being informed by the SEA, through the President of the Republic, if of course it so wishes.
The final proposal for the establishment and operation of the SEA, as approved by the Council of Ministers, was formulated after taking into account and incorporating the views of all political forces.
The positions of AKEL and DISY with their announcements yesterday that there was no prior consultation and that any suggestions they had submitted were not taken into account are surprising in this regard. As the announcements themselves state, the President of the Republic requested the opinions of all political forces. Both parties submitted written submissions, several of which were identical, and were taken seriously into the formulation of the final proposal. We invite them to first study the final proposal, as it was formulated, to verify the integration of their own suggestions. Nor can any concern about conflict with constitutional provisions be substantiated. It is clearly stated in point 8 of the proposal that the competences of the SEA will be exercised in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus on the powers of the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministers as well as the Ministers, in relation to the exercise of executive power, and without influence of the responsibilities of the National Council..'”.
