The state understands Lebanon’s position and will seek to further the issue of stemming migration flows with allies in the EU, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday.
Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC following his return from a visit to Lebanon on Monday, Ioannou said he would be visiting Denmark, Czechia and Sweden, all of which – as well as Lebanon – are positively inclined towards redesignating parts of Syria as safe.
Lebanon has meanwhile given assurances of boosted surveillance and cooperation in terms of dismantling migrant smuggling rings.
Cyprus will await to see words put into action by the Lebanese authorities, Ioannou said and Lebanon, like Turkey, ought to be supported by the EU in coping with the influx of Syrian asylum seekers, which make up close to half its population.
Asked about measures hinted at by President Nikos Christodoulides, beyond the ones officially discussed, Ioannou said the state was preparing for all sorts of scenarios but declined to offer details.
“A properly prepared state makes plans for all eventualities, depending on escalating need […] but there is no cause to get into them while we await the results of current actions,” the minister said.
The next stop will be the informal European council that will take place on April 18-19, during which one of the topics to be discussed is immigration, and actions taken by Lebanon will also be evaluated there.
On Monday, Christodoulides said a very constructive dialogue had taken place. He stressed that the implementation of EU actions depends on the results of those taken by both sides to address migration, and the leadership of Lebanon recognised the urgent need to intensify and monitor the situation on its borders.
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