Luxembourg, 11-12 April 2022
Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides today concluded his visit to Luxembourg, where he participated in the work of the Foreign Affairs Council and the EU General Affairs Council.
During today's work of the General Affairs Council, the country-by-country debate in the framework of the dialogue on the rule of law continued, with presentations by Malta, Hungary, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria. Ministers then exchanged views on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the next steps in the process. Cyprus strongly supports the initiative taken jointly by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission to give a voice to European citizens on the future of Europe.
The Council also adopted a Directive and a Regulation aimed at ensuring the uninterrupted supply of medicines in Northern Ireland after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, as well as the exceptional and transitional supply of medicines from the United Kingdom to the markets of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus for a period of three years. Speaking immediately after the adoption of this legislation, Mr Kasoulides, together with his counterparts from Malta and Ireland, after welcoming the adoption of this legislation, referred to the importance of this arrangement for their countries, thanking the French Presidency for its efforts to reach an agreement.
During yesterday's Foreign Affairs Council, Foreign Ministers discussed developments in Ukraine as well as a number of other regional and international issues. The Foreign Minister had the opportunity to elaborate extensively on Cyprus' positions in relation to the situation in Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion of the country. In addition, he supported the immediate release of EU financial assistance funds to Palestine and expressed Cyprus' support for the convening of an EU-Israel Association Council in the near future.
Kasoulides also commented on the latest developments in the Western Balkans, noting that the momentum created by the European perspective of the EU's partners in the region should be exploited. The EU must remain consistent in its commitments so that it can exert a positive influence on the efforts being made, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.
Moreover, in the context of a discussion on developments in Libya, the Foreign Minister referred to the need to withdraw foreign troops and mercenaries from the country. Drawing attention to this aspect, he stressed that without the withdrawal of foreign forces, the conflict would be perpetuated. In this context, he recalled that a similar situation existed in Syria, with the result that the civil war continues to this day. We are witnessing a similar situation in Mali, the Minister pointed out, stressing that the EU should focus its attention on these foreign powers and the destabilising role they play. Regarding Yemen, Kasoulides said that whatever progress is made in the search for a solution, the condemnation of the Huthi terrorist attacks against civilians and non-military infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is imperative.
The Foreign Minister returns to Cyprus tomorrow
(MF/IC)
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