At midnight, the member states of the European Union reached an agreement on the 6th package of sanctions against Russia.
Given the need to preserve the unity and cohesion of the EU, we welcome this development, which is a step in the right direction.
The Republic of Cyprus is pleased that important issues concerning Member States in relation to their economic sustainability have been taken into account. As we note on every occasion, sanctions are an important policy tool in the hands of the European Union and decisions taken in this regard should be guided by the guidelines that these measures should be sustainable and have a much greater economic impact on the third countries to which they are addressed than on the EU Member States.
At the same time, what we are stressing is the importance of mobilising the tools available to modern democracies. Diplomatic efforts should be intensified and strengthened in order to stop as soon as possible the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives, the uprooting of millions of families from their homes and chain effects for the whole of Europe.
The video of the statement can be found at the link: https:/youtu.be/opAciJb2spU
(MF/EC/SX)
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