We stand with our European partners, Government Spokesperson Marios Pelekanos said on Thursday, following the decisions taken by the EU foreign ministers in New York as a reaction to the speech by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Pelekanos told the press in NYC that we stand with our partners with determination and awareness as we have done all throughout the previous period.
The EU Foreign ministers met yesterday in NYC, in an extraordinary meeting following Putin’s speech and examined their steps. Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides also participated and the Ministers issued a joint declaration.
In light of the decisions taken, President Anastasiades’ meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was cancelled.
Pelekanos said that Putin’s speech brings new facts as regards Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Given these developments and in light of the upcoming EU Foreign Affairs Council, he went on, the EU’s guidelines were for avoiding bilateral meetings with Russia and therefore the meeting between Anastasiades and Lavrov was cancelled.
The Spokesman said that we are entering a new critical phase and we must make collective steps along with the EU as we did the previous period.
Source: Cyprus News Agency