The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Anastasiades participated this afternoon in a teleconference convened by the President of the European Council Mr. In addition to President Anastasiades, the meeting was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer and Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic.
The focus of the consultations was on the situation in Ukraine[/B], in light of the escalation of the war in the country, as well as on the financial needs arising, both to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has arisen and a range of other needs related to public sector salaries, the daily lives of citizens and, more generally, the effort to start rebuilding the country as soon as conditions allow.
In this context, the President of the Republic stressed, inter alia, the need to intensify diplomatic efforts towards achieving a ceasefire and ensuring conditions of peace and security in Ukraine and the wider region.
Although the issue of the still under discussion sixth package of sanctions against Russia is not expected to be discussed at next week's Summit, President Anastasiades reiterated the importance of maintaining EU unity and firm and unwavering support for all appropriate measures that could exert pressure and contribute to ending the war. At the same time, he re-emphasised the need for the various proposals for sanctions to be well designed and targeted, in order to have the intended effect and not to cause a greater economic impact on EU Member States than on Russia itself.
In relation to Energy and given that next week's leaders' discussion will take place on the basis of the REPowerEU plan submitted by the European Commission, the President of the Republicbriefed his counterparts on the solutions that Cyprus can provide to the European Union's goal of energy independence and diversification of its energy supply, including through electrical interconnections, natural gas transmission, including liquefied natural gas, and electricity storage. He added that the Government also views positively other measures aimed at accelerating the green transition through greater penetration of renewable energy sources.
On the defence sector,
the teleconference addressed the competitiveness of the European defence industry, as well as the possibilities for cooperation between Member States in the field of defence investment and the procurement of armaments systems.[/P]The President of the Republic reiterated Cyprus' support for steps that will strengthen the EU's strategic autonomy in the field of Defence and Security, as well as its capacity to intervene in cases where the need for crisis management arises, either autonomously or in cooperation with its allies and partners.
The teleconference concluded with an exchange of views on the food security situation, both in the EU and globally, in the light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During his intervention, President Anastasiades referred to the importance of actions to enhance food security, as well as to support the agricultural sector and consumers in the EU. Furthermore, he expressed his concern about the problems that may arise, not only in Africa, but also in countries in the Middle East, which, if not addressed, may create conditions conducive to destabilising tendencies.
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