Source: CNA
President Nicos Anastasiades will deliver a speech to EU and NATO leaders on Wednesday evening in Madrid underscoring the need for a Cyprus settlement in order to bring stability and security to the broader region, according to Government spokesperson Marios Pelekanos.
As stated in a press release, Pelekanos noted that the President will underline during the EU-NATO leaders' dinner the need for respect for international law and for a peaceful resolution of conflicts worldwide. He will also reiterate that the Cyprus problem continues to be an open wound in Europe and that its viable and functional settlement, on the basis of international and European law, will have beneficial results not only for Cyprus and the Cypriots but also for the stability and the security of the broader region.
Pelekanos said that President Anastasiades has accepted an invitation by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to attend the Euro-Atlantic working dinner hosted for the EU and NATO leaders, in the framework of the NATO Summit taking place in Madrid.
He added that during the dinner, Anastasiades will have the opportunity, like the rest of the participating leaders, to express Cyprus' position regarding the need for cooperation between the EU and NATO on the basis of respect for their decision-making autonomy and the two organizations' procedures, in light of the tectonic changes and the new challenges stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
These new challenges do not only concern aspects of traditional security, but also extend into the fields of hybrid threats and cyber attacks, energy security, the world food crisis and the migration issue, Pelekanos added.
He said that in this framework the President will reiterate Cyprus' position, given its increasing geopolitical value, that the EU can play an active role in efforts to combat threats in the security area and to look for solutions to address crises, focusing on diplomacy and the UN Charter.
The increase of the EU's strategic autonomy, which does not hinder the Union from cooperation in a consistent manner with NATO and other partners, can make the EU an effective security provider in the European continent and beyond.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
