Earlier this afternoon, the Special Session of the European Council, whose proceedings were held yesterday, Tuesday and today, Tuesday, in Brussels, concluded.
During the session, President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Anastadiades raised before his European counterparts both the new illegal actions of the Turkish side in the enclosed area of Varosha and the Turkish provocative behaviour in general, as well as the revisionist positions that Turkey continues to put forward regarding the framework for a solution of the Cyprus problem.
He also expressed his solidarity with the Greek Prime Minister, given the unprovoked verbal attacks in which Ankara has recently engaged against Athens.
Furthermore, President Anastasiades informed about our side's efforts to break the deadlock on the Cyprus issue, while reiterating our side's proposals for the adoption of bold confidence-building measures that can restore trust between the two communities and create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations, with a view to a settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality, as provided for in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The President of the Republic asked his counterparts to impress upon Turkey the importance of ending unilateral actions and provocations in general, as well as of putting the Cyprus problem back on track for resolution.
During the European Council, the latest developments in relation to the situation in Ukraine, the energy issue, including the high prices that are hitting households and businesses hard across Europe, were also discussed, as well as the issues of the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels, the dramatic consequences of the war in Ukraine on global food security and the serious risks of destabilisation in many parts of the world due to rising prices and, finally, the EU's ambitions for a strong and coordinated European defence.
In particular, with regard to food security, President Anastasiades expressed his concern "about the risks that may arise from shortages of basic commodities such as cereals, but also about the resulting increases in food prices and stressed the need for the European Union to act collectively to prevent further deterioration of the situation".
It is also noted that it is the position of the Republic of Cyprus that the case of Egypt - a strategic partner of the European Union - which has a prominent role in the stability of the Middle East and North Africa, is of enormous importance in relation to the issue of food security, given the fact that it is the largest importer of grain in the world, at a level of 90% from Ukraine and Russia. Consequently, if the situation continues to deteriorate, it is not impossible that Egypt could face the possibility of social unrest due to food insecurity. Thus, the EU needs to continue to provide support to Egypt in order to strengthen food security and resilience in the country.
Finally, it is noted, with great satisfaction, that following a decisive intervention by President Anastasiades, in coordination with the Prime Minister of Malta, in the Conclusions of the European Council under the Energy item, a wording was included which specifically concerns the island states of the Union, such as Cyprus and Malta. In particular, the European Council stresses the need to take full account of the concerns of EU island Member States in relation to the achievement of their targets, both in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, and further notes the need to complete and improve the electrical interconnections of Member States, such as Cyprus, which continue to be isolated from the European gas and electricity networks.
(PM/SX)
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