The EU is becoming irrelevant in talks regarding regional crises, namely the Middle East and Ukraine, and should set up a more substantive communication with the US, while Cyprus has a role to play as an anchor of stability, Cyprus’ president and foreign minister said on Thursday.
In a speech at the Economist summit in Nicosia, President Nikos Christodoulides said the geopolitical challenges and the return of Donald Trump to the US leadership, as well as the new institutional cycle the EU is entering on December 1, constituted a turning point for the region, the EU and the world as a whole.
It also offered an opportunity to set sound foundations for the new political environment, both for the EU and the region, he said.
Christodoulides said the time was ripe for the EU to take bold decisions and that Cyprus was in favour of a more federal European Union.
Cyprus, he added, could play a role in the new environment as an “anchor of stability”, as the EU’s representative in a complex region of endless upheaval.
The president said the answer to crises was cooperation and dialogue and that Cyprus had proved its decisiveness over the past year by facilitating humanitarian aid reaching those in need and providing assistance in evacuations.
He also referred to the economy’s improved ratings and the country’s strategic dialogue with the US.
“Stability, welfare and security in the Eastern Mediterranean are inextricably linked to the security and stability of the EU,” Christodoulides said.
“The EU, now more than ever […] should play a substantive role in the region, thus enhancing its strategic autonomy, which demands its active involvement jn the region and close cooperation with regional partners […] who are pillars of stability, such as Egypt and Jordan and the Gulf states.”
He pointed out that “it cannot be content with an observer role if it is to achieve its strategic autonomy.”
Cyprus, he added, could act as a bridge between the EU and the region.
Christodoulides said the goals of Cyprus’ EU presidency in 2026 was to enhance EU relations with the Middle East and the Gulf.
He added that Ukraine and the Middle East have proved that it was necessary to secure lasting peace, something Cyprus was well aware of.
“So, the status quo in Cyprus cannot constitute a viable option, neither for our people nor for the EU and the region,” he pointed out.
Christodoulides referred to the government’s efforts to resume negotiations for a Cyprus settlement and said a reunified Cyprus could enhance its role in the region.
“We will do everything possible to achieve this aim. We know very well what we want to achieve, we have a clear strategy on what we will do and, yes, I am optimistic – without disregarding the problems, the difficulties, the challenges, I am absolutely realistic – that at the end of the day this aim is absolutely feasible,” he said.
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said he would be travelling to Israel and Palestine over the next few days and pointed out that EU needed to be in closer contact with the US regarding the situation, as it was becoming “irrelevant in the whole discussion” as it had taken on the role of an “observer”.
He added that it was up to Turkey to become involved in a more constructive way instead of being a source of disagreement and unrest.
In his speech at the summit, Kombos said the crisis in the Middle East was not just another chapter in the book of crises, but “a very different, very dangerous situation”.
He added that last year’s attack by Hamas set off a chain reaction and that conflicts that would have been unthinkable two years ago are now happening, such as Iran’s direct attack against Israel.
Kombos also referred to the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, saying that it was not just the crises that had to be dealt with, but the day after as well.
For Cyprus, he said, the day after would be a solution to the Palestinian problem.
