The promotion of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) by those expected to be activated is postponed to a later stage due to developments in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides told Cypriot News Agency.
Regarding Ankara's stance on sanctions against Russia, Mr. Kasoulides noted that Nicosia is surprised that it continues to be tolerated, while assessing the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey, he assessed that Israeli-Cypriot relations are not affected.
"At every meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, we have warned about the possibility that Turkey might not comply with the sanctions, which it should do as a member of NATO and a candidate for EU membership."
"At every meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, we have warned about the possibility that Turkey might not comply with the sanctions, which it should do as a member of NATO and a candidate for EU membership. We have denounced this attitude to the US, the UK and France, as well as to the High Representative Borel in the recent letter I sent him," he said on the issue of sanctions against Russia.
What really puzzles us, he added, "is that this attitude of Turkey continues to be tolerated. At present there is silence."
Asked by CNA how the latest developments in Ukraine affect Nicosia's package of measures for the MoU, he noted that "it is obvious that those who were expected to be active in promoting the Confidence Building Measures, because of the war in Ukraine, are putting their action towards the promotion of the MoU for a later stage."
With regard to the role of mediator claimed by Ankara in the Ukrainian issue, Kasoulides said Turkey's geostrategic role has always been important because of its geographical position, its size and the role it attempts to play at the regional and international level. "But I don't think that the role it is currently claiming in Ukraine gives it additional value," he said.
Regarding the impact of developments in the energy sector, the Foreign Minister referred to the statements made at the informal summit in Versailles, chaired by Emmanuel Macron, and noted that although the EU realizes the need for energy independence from Russian gas, the intention is currently not to cut off this market. This, he added, stems from the fact that the quantities Europe needs are much larger than its existing needs.
"Therefore, energy decoupling through the use of renewable energy sources is expected to be achieved by 2027," he said. Putin has also publicly stated that he does not intend to terminate existing contracts and will honour all agreements with European states that are in force, he concluded.
"The political balance with Israel will not change"
Asked to assess the recent visit of the President of Israel to Turkey, Kasoulides said that relations with Cyprus will not be affected.
"I do not believe that the political balance will change. If you follow the Turkish press you will see the well-known political exaggerations, while on the contrary the Israeli press is more restrained, taking a more cautious approach to developments," he said.
He also expressed confidence that "the ties of friendship we have developed with Israel, both bilaterally and in the context of our multilateral cooperation with Greece and the US under the 3+1 format, are sincere, based on principles and have led to the consolidation of a mutually beneficial cooperation."
"This, moreover, is something that Israeli government officials have also made clear publicly. Therefore, I do not believe that our relations will be affected," he said. After all, as I have said many times, relations between states are not and should not be governed by the zero-sum principle, the Minister concluded.
Source: CNA
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