The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Anastasiades participated today in a preparatory teleconference convened by the President of the European Council Mr. Charles Michel, in view of the forthcoming Brussels Summit, which will focus on the situation in Ukraine, the energy issue, the EU's security and defence sector, etc.
The teleconference was also attended by the Prime Ministers of Sweden, Belgium, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Poland.
During his intervention, President Anastasiades reiterated, inter alia, Cyprus' solidarity with Ukraine and its people, as well as his support for the diplomatic efforts to end the Russian aggression. He also referred to the drama of the Ukrainian refugees and the fact that Cyprus is among the EU Member States receiving refugees from Ukraine and providing them with the necessary assistance.
The President of the Republic also referred to the sanctions imposed and argued that at the moment everyone's attention should primarily be directed towards filling the gaps observed in relation to their implementation, noting that the biggest gaps in relation to the sanctions relate to third countries such as Turkey. He underlined that Turkey's refusal to align with EU sanctions is not only self-serving, but undermines the intended impact of the sanctions. Given that Turkey continues to militarily occupy part of Cyprus, which is under its absolute control, its circumvention of the sanctions has a huge impact on Cyprus.
Further, President Anastasiades addressed the major issue of food security, in light of the dependence on cereals imported from Russia and Ukraine and the shortages that may arise.
The President of the Republic agreed with the need for an in-depth discussion by EU leaders on how to effectively address the rise in prices. He added that Cyprus, in cooperation with the countries of the region, will be able to contribute effectively to the energy independence promoted by the EU by supplying the European market with energy, including through electricity interconnection projects.
(PM/EK/SX)
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