Luxembourg, 24 April 2023
Foreign Minister Dr Konstantinos Kombos participated in the proceedings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which took place today in Luxembourg.
The Council's proceedings began with a discussion on the volatile situation in Sudan. During the debate, the Foreign Minister stressed, like all our European partners, the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. He added that the release of European citizens, including Cypriots, who are in the country is an absolute priority at the moment. In this context, he referred to the importance of immediate EU intervention in order to achieve the operation to remove them from the area. On the occasion of the situation in Sudan, the Foreign Minister stressed that the prospect of creating an EU operational capacity for autonomous intervention in such situations should also be seriously considered.
The discussions focused on Ukraine, with the Foreign Ministers assessing the situation as well as the military and financial support of the EU and its Member States to the country. Ministers also addressed issues of accountability, support for the reconstruction of the country, the adoption of a new sanctions package and measures against circumvention of existing ones, as well as Ukraine's peace formula. The discussion was preceded by an intervention by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who briefed his counterparts on the situation on the ground.
In his intervention, Dr. Kombos reiterated Cyprus' solidarity and support to the Government and people of Ukraine, referring also to the number of Ukrainian refugees hosted in Cyprus. It is of paramount importance for Cyprus to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as efforts to ensure accountability for violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law, he stressed. At the same time, he expressed Cyprus' support for the implementation of the agreement on the joint supply of ammunition to be delivered to Ukraine through European defence industries.
Referring to sanctions, Dr. Kobos noted that they are an important tool in the EU's toolbox, noting, however, that the refusal of third countries to align with them undermines collective efforts. In particular, he conveyed Cyprus' concerns in relation to Turkey, which, by avoiding alignment with EU restrictive measures, seeks to take advantage of the situation.
During a working lunch, Ministers exchanged views with Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, focusing on the country's European perspective. Before the opening of the Council, the "27" held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Marija Pejčinović Burić and the Foreign Minister of Iceland Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, whose country chairs the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the current period. The main topic of discussion was the preparations for the 4th CoE Summit to be held in Reykjavik, Iceland on 16 and 17 May 2023.
In the margins of the Council's work, Dr. Kombos had a private meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister, after reiterating Cyprus' commitment to the Council of Europe and the values it stands for, stressed the need to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.
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