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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, & nbsp; Ioannis Kasoulidis participated in the work of the EU Foreign Affairs Council that took place yesterday & nbsp; in Brussels. The focus of the Foreign Ministers' discussions was the security situation in Eastern Europe and in particular the latest developments in Ukraine. Additional topics of discussion were developments in the Western Balkans, Climate Diplomacy and other current regional and international issues. As part of a working lunch, the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministerial meeting took place.
Speaking during the discussion on the security situation in Eastern Europe, the Foreign Minister reiterated Cyprus' support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing the need to exhaust all diplomatic efforts and dialogue to defuse the situation. In particular, Mr. Kasoulides welcomed the efforts made by France and Germany in the context of the formation of Normandy as well as the initiatives within the OSCE, under the chairmanship of Poland. “Our wish and hope is for normalcy to return to the country and for all parties involved to show a constructive attitude so that peace and stability prevail in the region,” the Foreign Minister concluded.
Ministers also had the opportunity to exchange views on current developments in the Western Balkans, with an emphasis on the specific situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In his speech, Mr. Kasoulides, after welcoming the efforts made by the High Representative towards the resumption of the dialogue between the parties involved, stressed that the EU must remain committed to supporting the efforts to normalize the situation and resolve the crisis. as soon as possible.
The six-member Joint Council of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held a working lunch: the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Qatar. the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Speaking on behalf of the Austrian Foreign Minister, the Foreign Minister referred to the developments in Lebanon and Syria, stressing the need to coordinate the efforts of the EU, the GCC and the United Nations in relation to the developments in those countries. p>
On the sidelines of the CIS work, the Foreign Minister had a bilateral meeting with the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, with whom he discussed issues related to the EU's foreign and security policy. on the international agenda. & nbsp; They also had the opportunity to exchange views on the Cyprus issue. In this context, Mr. Kasoulides presented the rationale and the individual aspects of the MOE package proposed by the Cypriot Government and asked for the EU contribution for their further promotion.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also met, with the Italian Foreign Minister Luigi di & nbsp; Maio, with whom he exchanged views on issues of bilateral, regional and international interest, while he had a private briefing with the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. & nbsp;
After the work, the Foreign Minister will leave for Paris where the French Presidency of the Council of the EU will host a ministerial meeting on Tuesday morning on international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Kasoulides will take part in a roundtable discussion on international challenges related to climate, health, biodiversity and the oceans.
