President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides has sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking for the EU’s mutual assistance clause to be put back on the agenda, as well as for an update on the proposals considered so far and the next steps, according to POLITICO, which has seen the text of the letter.
“I cannot overstate the importance of this provision for the EU and its Member States, especially in times of geopolitical uncertainty,” President Christodoulides reportedly wrote in the letter, dated 20 October.
Article 42.7 of the Lisbon Treaty provides that, if a member state is the victim of “armed aggression,” the other member states have an obligation to provide “aid and assistance by all the means in their power.”
“Given the gravity of the challenges we face, Cyprus would welcome the resumption of discussions at the relevant preparatory bodies. I would therefore appreciate an update on the proposals under consideration, as well as a timeline for the next steps,” the President writes.
According to the report, the Union had carried out tabletop exercises earlier this year, and the six-month Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, which ended on 30 June, made the issue a priority after Iranian drones struck a British base on Cypriot soil in March. POLITICO notes that the matter had come under discussion because of mounting geopolitical threats, including US President Donald Trump’s undermining of the transatlantic alliance, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its hybrid warfare campaign against the EU, and the wars in the Middle East.
Since then, however, it has largely fallen off the EU’s radar, as attention turns to negotiations on the seven-year European budget, worth almost pound 2 trillion, and to finding additional funding for Ukraine, the report continues.
According to POLITICO’s report and what CNA understands, Article 42.7 is not expected to be discussed at an EU leaders’ summit in the foreseeable future, as an EU official, who asked not to be named, also confirmed to the outlet.
CNA has not independently confirmed the content of the letter.