Cyprus services sector cannot be further affected by European sanctions against Russia, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Sunday.
Kasoulides added that sanctions cannot have more of a negative impact on member states than on Russia itself.
The foreign minister was speaking on the sidelines of the Europe Day celebrations, which took place on Sunday morning at Eleftheria Square, in the centre of Nicosia.
Because the packages of restrictive measures are increasing, the aggregate effect is also increasing with them, something that the European Commission must take into account when it comes up with proposals, because it must know what the particularities of each member state are. The sanctions are being introduced as our form of protest, to stop Russias war machine from interfering in Ukraine. These sanctions cannot have more of a negative effect on member states than on Russia itself, he said.
In light of the fact that the sixth package of sanctions specifically targets services, and Cyprus services sector directly linked to Russian funds, the foreign minister said that huge efforts have been made to protect the islands services sector from disproportionate decisions that concern Cyprus, while other member states face other problems.
“For example, we do not have the problem of importing gas or oil from Russia, while others are much more dependent. But we have three sectors, tourism, which has been hit, as well as shipping and services, which cannot be hit further,” Kasoulides stressed.
Meanwhile, Kasoulides made it clear that small states cannot accept a proposal to remove the need for unanimity when it comes to decision-making in the European Council. There are other very serious issues where many member states have special interests in other areas, not only in the field of foreign policy. Cyprus is in favour of unanimity in the field of foreign policy” he concluded.
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