The Czech Ambassador to Cyprus Vladimir Nemec presented the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which took over from the outgoing French Presidency on Friday 1 July, at a press conference held at the EU House in Nicosia.
Regarding Turkey, the Czech ambassador said despite the similarities between the situation in Ukraine and the one in Cyprus all sides should be careful, and given that Turkey is playing the role of a mediator in the Ukrainian issue it is not easy to imagine measures against Turkey of a similar nature to those against Russia. He also added that the role of the Presidency is a moderating one and that the Czech Republic should not be expected to make any catalytic intervention in the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
According to Nemec, the priorities of the Czech presidency are aimed at addressing current challenges as well as pursuing the EU’s long-term goals and are divided into five areas, the management of the refugee crisis and Ukraine’s post-war recovery, energy security, reinforcing European defence capabilities, including cybersecurity, the strategic resilience of the EU economy, and the resilience of democratic institutions, the rule of law, media freedom and transparency.
Nemec also referred to the Czech Presidency’s motto “Europe as a task – rethink, rebuild, repower”, explaining that it is a legacy of former Czech President Vaclav Havel’s reflection on Europe’s role in a global world at a historic moment of a reshuffled world order and a reminder that Europe is a matter of constant work of every citizen.
Asked at the end of the presentation about the Czech Presidency’s position as regards the Turkish aggression against Cyprus on the one hand, and about the non-inclusion of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Presidency’s geographical priorities on the other hand, Nemec replied that although the Eastern Mediterranean is indeed not included in the Presidency’s priorities, developments in the Mediterranean in general are closely monitored, also due to the migration flows recorded in the region.
In response to another question on transparency in the financing of political parties and pluralism in the media, Nemec replied that the actions initiated by the outgoing French Presidency will be continued in this area, while he also referred to successful examples in the Czech Republic itself, adding that the relevant discussion will take place within the EU General Affairs Council.
Finally, asked about the development of cooperation between NATO and the EU in the light of developments in Ukraine, the Czech diplomat said that NATO will not replace the European defence institutions, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy, with the aim being to deepen cooperation both between member states and with candidate countries but also NATO, which as a defence alliance can help in this direction.
Source: Cyprus News Agency