Nicosia: Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, on Sunday held telephone communications with the Prime Minister of Israel, the President of Egypt, the President of the United Arab Emirates, and the Prime Minister of Greece, during which he stressed Nicosia’s priority as regards maintaining stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to a written statement by Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Spokesperson notes that President Christodoulides had a series of telephone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as part of his ongoing contacts with regional and European Union leaders, ‘with the aim of contributing to the easing of tensions in the wider region.’
‘President Christodoulides stressed the immediate need for de-escalation and underlined the importance of returning to diplomacy and dialogue, underlining the priority that the Republic of Cyprus attaches to maintaining stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean,’ Letymbiotis says in his statement.
In the context of maintaining regional security, he adds, ‘President Christodoulides also reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of the hostages and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to the civilian population.’
Letymbiotis notes that the close diplomatic relations of the Republic of Cyprus with all the states of the region, as well as its role as an EU member state, ‘will be utilised to the maximum extent possible, in order to actively and responsibly contribute to the efforts of de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the crises in the region.’ Cyprus, as the closest EU member state to the region, with long-standing reliable relations with all the states of the Eastern Mediterranean and with a firm commitment to the principles of international law, is ready to offer all possible diplomatic and humanitarian support, he adds.
The Republic of Cyprus will continue to take initiatives, build bridges of communication and function as a factor of stability and security in the wider region, serving the principles of peace and cooperation, he concludes.