The Special Session of the European Council, which took place yesterday, Monday and today, Tuesday, in Brussels, ended earlier this afternoon.
In a written statement on the matter, Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos states the following:
During the Summit, the President of the Republic presented to his European counterparts both the new illegal actions of the Turkish side in the enclosed area of Varosia and the Turkish provocative behavior in general, as well as the revisionist positions that Turkey continues to promote. He also expressed his solidarity with the Greek Prime Minister, given the unprovoked verbal attacks that Ankara has been carrying out recently against Athens.
Furthermore, President Anastasiadis informed about the efforts made by our side to remove the impasse in the Cyprus issue, while reiterating our side's proposals for the adoption of bold confidence-building measures that can restore trust between the two communities and create trust between the two communities. the resumption of negotiations, with the aim of settling the Cyprus issue, on the basis of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation with political equality, as provided by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
. The President of the Republic asked his counterparts to point out to Turkey the importance of ending unilateral actions and challenges in general, as well as returning the Cyprus issue to a settlement path.
During the European Council, the latest developments in the situation in Ukraine, the energy issue, including the high prices hit hard by households and businesses throughout Europe, as well as the issues of detoxification were also discussed. Russian fossil fuels, the dramatic consequences of the war in Ukraine on global food security and the serious risks of destabilization in many parts of the world due to rising prices; European defense.
In particular, with regard to food security, President Anastasiadis expressed his concern “about the risks that may arise from shortages of basic goods, such as cereals, but also about the resulting increases in food prices and stressed the need for the European Union to act collectively to prevent further deterioration of the situation “.
It is noted, moreover, that it is the position of the Republic of Cyprus that the case of Egypt & # 8211; a strategic partner country of the European Union & # 8211; which plays a key role in the stability of the Middle East and North Africa, is of paramount importance in relation to the issue of food security, given that it is the largest importer of cereals in the world, at 90% from Ukraine and Russia . Therefore, if the situation continues to worsen, it is not ruled out that Egypt may face the possibility of social unrest due to food insecurity. Thus, the EU needs to continue to provide support to Egypt, with the aim of strengthening food security and resilience in the country.
Finally, it is noted with particular satisfaction that The speech of President Anastasiadis, in coordination with the Prime Minister of Malta, in the Conclusions of the European Council under the heading Energy, included a speech, which specifically concerns the island states of the Union, such as Cyprus and Malta. In particular, the European Council emphasizes the need to take full account of the EU Member States' concerns regarding the achievement of their objectives, both in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, while further noting the need for integration and improvement. Member States, such as Cyprus, which continue to be isolated from European gas and electricity networks.
