Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency will work to ensure that the EU continues to stand by Ukraine at all levels, Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos told an EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels, on Thursday.
On the sidelines of the FAC, the Foreign Minister also held a meeting with the EU Envoy for the Cyprus issue, Johannes Hahn, a Ministry press release said here today.
The FAC agenda included, among other issues, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, as well as the latest developments in the Sahel and Sudan.
The Ministers also attended an informal lunch on EU-ASEAN relations with the ministers of the countries participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
In his intervention on Ukraine, Kombos reiterated the principled position of the Republic of Cyprus in support of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, stressing that during the Cypriot Presidency, “we will work to ensure that the EU continues to stand by Ukraine at all levels.”
He also referred to Cyprus’ support for the adoption of a new sanctions package, as well as the importance of addressing the phenomenon of the shadow fleet and the circumvention of sanctions by third countries.
Regarding the Middle East, the Foreign Affairs Minister welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution related to President Trump’s plan for Gaza, while in this context he briefed his counterparts on the discussions he recently held during his contacts in the United States and Israel, in connection with President Nikos Christodoulides’ six-point plan, which focuses on the pillars of humanitarian assistance, security, and recovery.
Kombos underlined that ‘despite the fact that the situation in Gaza remains unstable, maintaining the ceasefire is of exceptional importance.”
“The EU must have an enhanced presence and engagement at the political, economic and operational level,’ he concluded.
In his intervention on the situation in Sudan, the Cypriot Minister referred to the particularly worrying developments in the country and the tragically deteriorating humanitarian situation.
He stressed that the EU can-and must-play a role by taking measures for the immediate protection of civilians and for the development of critical infrastructure.
In this context, he emphasized that ‘we must tangibly support both the QUAD (US, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) and its effort for an immediate ceasefire, as well as the further involvement of the UN.’ At the same time, he expressed support for the need for accountability and the extension of existing restrictive measures. He also expressed concern over the new challenges emerging for maritime security in the Red Sea, as the worsening situation significantly affects the EU.
After the conclusion of the Council’s work, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will participate on Thursday evening in the Donors’ Conference for Palestine, and later in the evening he will attend a dinner of the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.