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Cyprus'[/B] support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine was reiterated by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides during a discussion on the security situation in Eastern Europe and Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine at the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) held in Brussels on Monday.
According to a statement, in his intervention, Mr. Kasoulides stressed the need to exhaust all diplomatic efforts and room for dialogue to defuse the situation, and welcomed the efforts made by France and Germany in the framework of the Normandy Formation as well as the initiatives taken in the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
"It is our wish and hope that normalcy will return to the country and that all parties involved will demonstrate a constructive attitude so that peace and stability prevail in the region," the Foreign Minister concluded, according to the statement.
On the sidelines of the FAC, Mr. Kasoulides had a series of bilateral meetings, the first of which was with EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borel.
Apart from the issues on the international agenda, Castoulides and Borel exchanged views on the Cyprus problem, with the Foreign Minister presenting the rationale as well as the individual aspects of the MoU packages proposed by the Greek Cypriot side, asking for the EU's contribution to their promotion.
The MoUs as reported by Cypriots include the opening of Varosha for its legal residents under UN administration, in exchange for the opening of Famagusta port for international trade and single market under EU supervision, and then the promotion of the opening of Tympos airport for international flights under UN administration.
Kasoulides also met with his Italian counterpart Luigi di Maio on issues of bilateral, regional and international interest, and had a brief meeting with German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock.
The other major topic of the meeting was developments in the Western Balkans, in particular the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the tensions caused by separatist actions by the leadership of the Republika Srpska.
According to the statement, Mr. Kasoulides welcomed in his intervention the efforts made by Mr. Borel towards the resumption of dialogue between the parties, and stressed that the EU "must remain committed to supporting efforts to normalize the situation and resolve the crisis as soon as possible."
EU Foreign Ministers also attended a meeting of the EU Gulf Cooperation Council at a working lunch with their counterparts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In his intervention, on behalf of the Austrian Foreign Minister, he referred to developments in Lebanon and Syria, stressing the need to coordinate the efforts of the EU, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations in relation to developments in these countries.
As announced, at the end of the proceedings, Mr. Kasoulides will leave for Paris where he will participate in the ministerial meeting organised by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU on international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
According to the statement, Mr. Kasoulides will participate in a round table discussion on international challenges regarding climate, health, biodiversity and oceans.
Source: CNA
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