Cyprus: The Foreign Affairs Minister of Cyprus, Dr Constantinos Kombos, participated in the work of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council (SEU), which took place on Monday, June 26, in Luxembourg. He addressed a number of issues and challenges in front of them during the conference, including Ukraine and Russia War.
During the session, the Council addressed the latest developments regarding Ukraine following the Russian invasion, as well as the assessment of the EU coordinated response.
The Ministers also exchanged views on EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations and adopted Conclusions on Digital Diplomacy. A discussion was also held on the situation in Tunisia and Somalia, developments in Armenia-Azerbaijani relations and the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.
The latest developments in Ukraine were the focus of the discussions. During the discussion, Dr Kombos reiterated Cyprus’Cyprus’ unwavering solidarity and support for the Government and the people of Ukraine. In this context, he condemned recent attacks on non-military infrastructure, including the attack on the Kakhovka dam.
“The European Union stands with Ukraine and condemns most strongly the ongoing Russian aggression,” he underlined. The Minister of Foreign Affairs then welcomed the adoption of the 11th package of restrictive measures, emphasizing especially the need to take effective measures to address the circumventions of sanctions by third countries.
The Foreign Ministers had the opportunity to exchange views on several international issues in the news. Speaking on the situation in Tunisia, Dr Kombos expressed his support for the efforts being made by the European Union to revive EU-Tunisia relations.
He also noted that the country has an important strategic interest in the EU. Regarding the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, the Minister again expressed the support of the Republic of Cyprus for the Dialogue.
Regarding Digital Diplomacy, the Foreign Ministers approved the Council Conclusions further to enhance the Union’sUnion’s role in global digital affairs. In his speech, the Minister stressed that Cyprus fully believes that the EU should step up its efforts to play a leading role internationally in shaping the global digital agenda.
During the work of the Council, the Minister met with the EU High Representative on Foreign Policy and Security Issues. Joseph Borrell.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister had an in-depth exchange of views with Mr Borrell on Cyprus and the EU’sEU’s more active involvement in the efforts to resume negotiations to resolve the problem under the auspices of the UN.
The two officials also dealt with issues related to the EU foreign policy, with particular emphasis on the current situation in Ukraine.
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