Cyprus was not and will not be part of Middle East crisis, Kombos said at Foreign Affairs Council

Cyprus "has not been and will not be part of the crisis", Minister for Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos said during a discussion on the Middle East crisis at the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU, which was held on in Luxembourg on 24 June, referring indirectly to Nasrallah's statements without naming the Hezbollah leader.

According to a PIO press release, Kombos stressed that "any incendiary statements aimed at further escalation and destabilisation in the region are reprehensible” and that “Cyprus has not been and will not be part of the crisis".

The Foreign Minister also stressed that a spill over in the region, especially to Lebanon, should be avoided and expressed Cyprus's full support to the intensive diplomatic efforts carried out by the United States and France.

Notably, with regards to the situation in the Middle East, Kombos stressed that Cyprus supports the implementation of the proposal of US President Joe Biden, in particular the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, calling on all parties to work to create conditions that will lead to the start of a peace process.

In addition to the situation in the Middle East, the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council included also the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, relations with the Western Balkans, the situation in Georgia and the situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

During the discussion on Ukraine, the Foreign Minister underlined that the EU should take all necessary decisions to ensure that EU support will continue for as long as necessary in a robust and predictable manner, and reiterated the country’s support for Ukraine.

Kombos welcomed the adoption of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia by the Foreign Affairs Council, underlining that the framework for dealing with sanctions circumvention should be significantly strengthened.

In relation to the Western Balkans, the Foreign Ministers had an exchange of views with their counterparts from the region in light of the growing geopolitical competition and challenges they face.

Kombos expressed Cyprus's firm commitment and support to the accession path of Western Balkan partners and encouraged their full alignment with the EU's objectives and decisions in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

In the context of the discussion on Georgia, the EU’s Foreign Ministers underlined the need to respect democracy, values and principles of the EU as an integral part of the country’s European path.

Finally, on the situation in the Great Lakes, the Foreign Ministers stressed the need for effective implementation of the EU’s Strategy for the region and stressed their support towards Luanda and Nairobi peace processes, the success of which is key in achieving regional peace.

(CNA/PIO)