The leaders of the EUMED9 declared at their summit in Alicante their common willingness to face challenges united. At the same time, they called on Turkey to stop its illegal actions in the fenced off area of Varosha.
In their declaration, the leaders reiterated their “strong commitment to a viable comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue on the basis of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant UNSC Resolutions, which are binding on all, and in line with the EU acquis, values and principles”.
Therefore, they added, “proposals for a two-state solution are unacceptable. Efforts to resume negotiations should not be undermined by illegal and provocative behaviour in the maritime zones and on the territory of Cyprus. We strongly condemn Turkish illegal actions in the fenced-off area of Varosha, which run contrary to Resolutions 550(1984) and 789(1992), and call for their reversal in line with the UNSC Presidential Statement of 23 July 2021 and the Declaration of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union of 27 July 2021”.
The leaders also called on the European Union to come up with a more flexible gas price cap mechanism than the recently proposed cap of 220 euros ($232) per megawatt hour.
President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades took part in the summit, called by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez who said the EU-Med leaders agreed to work together so that the Dec. 13 meeting of EU energy ministers could reach “a gas price cap that is more dynamic and effective.”
Speaking after the deliberations, President Anastasiades said that the summit gave the leaders the opportunity to exchange views on the need to unite on handling a number of critical issues such as energy security and supply, open strategic autonomy and the wider instability in the region such as climate change.
Anastasiades said that at a time when multilateralism is suffering, EUMED countries need to work together to make the Mediterranean an area of peace, dialogue and stability.
No state alone is in a position to manage by itself the great challenges of the pandemic or the challenges which have ensued since Russia’s war in Ukraine.
To this end, our actions must focus, and aim, he said, on strengthening the European Union’s open strategic autonomy, while reducing its energy dependencies from unreliable sources.
To achieve the objective, President Anastasiades underlined, the Eastern Mediterranean can be an alternative energy corridor for the Union.
Exploiting its cooperation with Egypt, Israel and Greece, Cyprus is concentrating on creating a viable regional natural gas market, providing the EU with sufficient quantities in the immediate future while in the medium and long term, with renewable energy resources and hydrogen, he added.
For this reason, the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum has an important role to play as well as the creation of electricity interconnection networks, with the implementation of important projects, such as EuroAsia and the EuroAfrica Interconnector, Anastasiades noted.
He also underlined that the aim is to adapt the existing fiscal rules to ensure a smooth and realistic reduction of public debt, without jeopardising the necessary investments for the benefit of the growth of our economies, but also of supporting the green and digital transitions in the coming years.
President Anastasiades thanked the EUMED countries for their principled stance on the Cyprus problem and for their full support in the efforts to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem that is based on UN resolutions, the principles and values of the EU and creates the prospects for a modern European state.
President Anastasiades said that we need to be completely clear against attitudes which include revisionist policies, violation of international law, human rights and instrumentalization of migration as well as non-compliance to EU sanctions against countries which violate international order.
Any efforts by Turkey to achieve recognition of the illegal entity in the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus will not be accepted or tolerated, the President added.
He also welcomed the clear condemnation of similar efforts, not only by the other eight EUMED members but also by the international community, the EU and the UN.
He repeated that “we will never stop fighting for a fair and viable solution to the Cyprus issue which will serve all the citizens, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, on the basis of UN resolution.”
Anastasiades also said his second term in office concludes on 1st March 2023 and this is the last time he takes part in the EU med countries summit. For this reason, he thanked his colleagues for their sincere friendship and support as well as cooperation over the years.
Speaking through an interpreter, French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the common will of the EUMED9 countries to move forward on issues of defence and technology mainly in the Mediterranean, which is an area they wish to maintain safe and sovereign, with joint actions, given that there is more and more doubt by unfriendly naval forces, while referring to the need to protect the environment in the Mediterranean Sea and to protect biodiversity.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated how important is the remark by President Anastasiades, about the possibilities offered by the Eastern Mediterranean basin, in order to help Europe diversify its gas supply
He said Greece is proceeding with great speed in further hydrocarbon exploration southwest of Crete, southwest of the Peloponnese, and in combination with significant deposits that have already been discovered in Cyprus, Israel and Egypt, “we can contribute to helping Europe not to be dependent on Russian natural gas perhaps faster than we estimated.”
He also thanked President Anastasiades and all the leaders who stood by Cyprus, supporting the island against an unfair and illegal invasion that took place 48 years ago. The solution to the Cyprus problem, he added, can be viable and fair only if it is based on UN resolutions and rejects any discussion of a two-state solution, as may be promoted by some countries that consider that in this direction they should move.
Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, speaking through an interpreter said he and Anastasiades created together this group which continues to work. He said he embraces Anastasiades’ spirit of friendship and European spirit, noting the Cypriot President always maintained a constructive manner and never put Cyprus’ interests above the EU interests. He also said that everyone understands the problem Cyprus is facing.
On his part, the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, thanked President Anastasiades for the friendship they have developed in recent years.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, addressing President Anastasiades, thanked him for his contribution to Europe. “I worked with you when I was President of the European Parliament, now I work with you as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy. Thank you for your contribution to the benefit of Europe,” he said.
Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.
Source: Cyprus News Agency