Cyprus is participating in a constructive way in the conversation over the sixth package of sanctions, given that they will be sustainable and will affect Russia more than they will affect the member states of the European Union, Government Spokesperson Marios Pelekanos said ahead of today’s extraordinary meeting of the European Council. Pelekanos also said that President Anastasiades will brief his counterparts regarding Turkey’s latest actions in the fenced off area of Varosha, as well as regarding the letters sent over the past few days to the Turkish Cypriot side and all interested parties on possible confidence building measures.
Speaking from Brussels, where he is accompanying President Anastasiades, Pelekanos said that there are ongoing “intensive negotiations on the technical level” in order to arrive to a deal on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia.
The Spokesperson added that, as all EU partners, “so we participate in a constructive way in the ongoing discussions, bearing in mind the guiding principles on sanctions, which is that they need to be viable and cause a much greater economic cost on Russia than on the member states of the EU.” Pelekanos said that he is optimistic that a deal will be possible.
Regarding the Cyprus problem, the Government Spokesperson said that President Anastasiades will brief his counterparts on “new illegal actions by the Turkish side in the fenced-off area of Varosha” as well as the “unacceptable and provocative” stance Turkey has taken vis a vis Cyprus and Greece and the “revisionist positions still promoted by Turkey on the framework for a solution on the Cyprus problem”. Pelekanos also said that the President will request that, when talking to Turkey, the leaders stress “the importance of ending provocations and bringing the Cyprus problem again on track for a solution.”
The Spokesperson added that President Anastasiades will brief the leaders on the efforts made by the Greek Cypriot side to end the impasse through the letter sent to the Turkish Cypriot leader detailing proposals for confidence building measures. According to Pelekanos, the President has already sent letters regarding the actions of the Turkish Cypriot side and the efforts made by the Greek Cypriot side to the Turkish Cypriot leader, the Secretary General of the UN, the leaders of the guarantor powers, all EU leaders as well as the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
On the agenda of the summit, Pelekanos noted that the leaders will discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, issues relating to energy such as the high prices affecting households and businesses across the EU, issues relating to the end of Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels, the effects of the war on world food security and the danger of destabilisation in many areas of the world, as well as the EU’s effort to strengthen and further coordinate on defence.
Source: Cyprus News Agency