An EU Commission delegation was in Cyprus for two days to carry out meetings over the island’s sanctions implementation and enforcement, it emerged on Tuesday.

The purpose of the meetings was to focus on sanctions implementation, to exchange views on challenges that arise, to share best practices and know-how. It included teams from the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, shipping, as well as the Central Bank of Cyprus, police and customs authorities.

According to the Commission, during presentations from both sides. the importance of sanctions in helping Ukraine defend itself from illegal Russian aggression was stressed.

“Cypriot and EU officials shared their full commitment to EU sanctions, and to make sanctions implementation and enforcement more effective.”

Cyprus also presented the work it has carried out to implement sanctions against Russia. “Both sides agreed to continue the dialogue and follow-up on matters of sanctions implementation in the spirit of sincere cooperation,” the Commission noted.

EU sanctions officials have been meeting with the sanctions teams of each EU Member State.

In April, the US and UK hit 23 Cypriots and over a dozen Cyprus-based companies with sanctions, after they were deemed to be financial enablers for Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov.

The government then vowed to clear its name and create a sanctions implementation unit.