EU must take the initiative for stability in the region, President says

The EU must take initiatives at all levels in order for de-escalation and diplomacy to prevail, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has said, referring to developments in the Middle East.

The President was addressing a 17 June conference in Athens via internet link.

He stressed that if the EU wants to have a geopolitical role in developments in a way that contributes to the creation of conditions of regional stability, it must take the initiative and underlined that this is why Cyprus asked for no further delay and in addition to supporting the Joint Statement, the Foreign Minister immediately asked the EU representative to convene an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council, which was immediately accepted.

"Coordination at EU level is necessary in order to take collective action," President Christodoulides noted.

"Taking those measures that can lead to de-escalation and the prevalence of diplomacy as the only means of resolving the dispute is exactly what is needed at the moment," he stressed, adding that Cyprus always seeks to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

“The situation is extremely critical and dangerous and, from the very first moment, we have been calling for a regional de-escalation,” the President pointed out.

'Estia' Special National Plan

At the same time, he referred to the activation of the 'Estia' Special National Plan for the facilitation and safe evacuation of third country nationals, if there is a need, adding that so far there is a request from two countries to facilitate the evacuation of their citizens from the region, both EU member states.

"The current situation benefits no one. It was clear from my conversation with the leaders of the region that they are very concerned not only about the outcome of this crisis, but also about economic reasons, the price of oil, it's summer, it's tourist season," President Christodoulides said.

He added that "we are joining our efforts with the countries of the region in order to achieve de-escalation“, noting that ”Cyprus, as it has done since the beginning of this crisis, will continue to play an active role in promoting initiatives aimed at de-escalation and promoting regional stability through preventive diplomacy."

"We have a special role in the region, as a reliable and predictable partner with a purely humanitarian mission," he said.

Energy sector developments

Regarding developments in the energy sector, the President underlined that ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, Eni are licensed within Cyprus' EEZ.  "Our position and our active and outward-looking foreign policy strengthen our role as a pillar of stability and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and we show this together with Greece and other like-minded countries in the region. We are actively promoting such regional cooperation and integration in our region," he stressed.

He referred to the cooperation mechanisms with regional partners such as Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Lebanon, UAE saying that they offer a very effective platform for dialogue, peace and common prosperity and include a broad agenda. “Energy was in fact the starting point to bring the countries of the region together, it has always been at the forefront since the beginning of the creation of these regional cooperation mechanisms, and it continues to be at the heart of our regional vision, being a strategic priority and a powerful tool for cooperation,” he noted.

“Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean are increasingly recognised as emerging hubs for energy and infrastructure connectivity, either by facilitating the transport of natural gas or by connecting the electricity grids between Europe and the Middle East,” President Christodoulides underlined. The region, he said, "can be an alternative energy route for Europe.”

Visit to Cyprus by India's PM

Moreover, President Christodoulides described the two-day visit of Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus which concluded yesterday as historic and underlined that the two countries are expanding their cooperation in the fields of economy and technology, confirming the common understanding and the convergence of views on foreign policy issues.  At the same time, he referred to the fact that Cyprus will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January 2026 and stressed that one of its priorities is “to bring the European Union closer to the region, to the wider Middle East.”

(Source: CNA)