The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, participated this afternoon in a teleconference convened by the President of the European Council, Mr Charles Michel, ahead of the Special Session of the European Council in Brussels on 30 and 31 May.
In addition to President Anastasiades, the meeting was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer and Croatian Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic.
The consultations focused on the situation in Ukraine, in the light of the escalation of the war in the country, as well as on the financial needs arising, both to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has been created and a range of other needs related to public sector salaries, the daily lives of citizens and, more generally, the effort to start rebuilding the country as soon as conditions allow.
In this context, the President of the Republic stressed, inter alia, the need to intensify diplomatic efforts towards achieving a ceasefire and ensuring peace and security conditions in Ukraine and the wider region.
Although the issue of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, still under discussion, is not expected to be discussed at next week's Summit, President Anastasiades reiterated the importance of maintaining the unity of the EU and of firm and unwavering support for all appropriate measures that could exert pressure and contribute to ending the war. At the same time, he re-emphasised the need for the various proposals for sanctions to be well-designed and targeted, with the aim of having the desired effect and not causing a greater economic impact on EU Member States than on Russia itself.
In relation to energy - and given that next week's leaders' discussion will take place on the basis of the REPowerEU plan presented by the European Commission - the President of the Republic briefed his counterparts on the solutions that Cyprus can provide to the European Union's goal of energy independence and diversification of its energy supply, including through electricity interconnections, gas transmission, including liquefied natural gas, and electricity storage. He added that the government also views positively other measures aimed at accelerating the green transition through greater penetration of renewable energy sources.
In the field of defence, the teleconference discussed the competitiveness of the European defence industry, as well as the possibilities for cooperation between Member States in the field of defence investment and the procurement of armaments systems.
The President of the Republic reiterated Cyprus' support for steps that will strengthen the EU's strategic autonomy in the field of Defence and Security, as well as its ability to intervene in crisis management situations, either autonomously or in cooperation with its allies and partners.
The teleconference concluded with an exchange of views on the food security situation, both in the EU and globally, in the light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During his intervention, President Anastasiades referred to the importance of actions to enhance food security, as well as to support the agricultural sector and consumers in the EU. Furthermore, he expressed his concern about the problems that may arise, not only in Africa, but also in countries in the Middle East, which, if not addressed, may create conditions conducive to destabilising tendencies.
(PM/IC)
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