24-25 March 2022
The President of the Republic is in Brussels to participate, today and tomorrow, in the European Council Summit.
As is known, the discussions will focus on the situation in Ukraine, the initial part of which will be attended by US President Joe Biden.
EU leaders will exchange views on various aspects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such as the ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, the increasing refugee flows and the reception of Ukrainian refugees in EU Member States, the humanitarian and financial support Ukraine needs, and closing the gaps in the implementation of the sanctions we have already imposed. And unfortunately, the biggest gaps in relation to sanctions relate to third countries and particularly EU candidate countries, with Turkey leading the way.
In the context of the whole debate, President Anastasiades will draw some parallels between the current situation in Ukraine and what happened in Cyprus in 1974. And he will explain the reasons why the passage of time does not produce justice, nor does it wash away the invasion and occupation of a country by a larger neighbour and its derivatives. The President of the Republic will brief his European counterparts on the bold Confidence Building Measures he has proposed, which are aimed at restoring confidence between the parties and creating the conditions for the resumption of negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem.
The most important item on the agenda of the second day of the European Council is that of energy, in the light of the European Union's efforts to achieve energy independence, as a matter of urgency. President Anastasiades will highlight the important role that the Republic of Cyprus can play in this direction, through major energy projects and synergies with partners in the wider region and neighbouring countries. Furthermore, they will exchange views on the key issue of high energy prices, as recorded in recent months, and will examine specific measures that could mitigate the unbearable costs borne by citizens and businesses.
As for the other topics of the Summit, I would say that the items that stand out are (1) the Defence and Security sector, especially if one takes into account the agreement reached on the Strategic Compass (2) the food situation within the Single Market, (3) the latest developments in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and (4) the preparations for the upcoming EU-China Summit.
(MF/IC)
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