Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kompos condemned the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia upon his arrival Monday morning at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, noting that developments in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz are having a “paralyzing effect” on global trade.
“Cyprus condemns in the strongest possible terms the Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the unfolding situation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz is having a crippling effect on global trade,” the minister stated, adding that “Cyprus believes in and insists on the implementation of UNCLOS, and international public law, in order to ensure freedom of navigation in a way that truly makes navigation free.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Referring to the security dimension of EU enlargement, Mr. Kombos emphasized that the issue is how the Union’s security can be strengthened through the process of enlargement and accession. “Cyprus firmly believes in the enlargement process, provided that it is based on meritocracy. If this is not the case, then we will not be strengthening our security, but rather undermining the European Union’s security potential,” he warned.
Regarding Turkey, the minister stated that he would brief the Council on the illegal Memorandum of Understanding between Turkey and the illegal separatist entity in the occupied territories. “This is a memorandum aimed at constructing an undersea natural gas pipeline, in flagrant violation of international law and the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus. Unfortunately, this is part of a broader pattern on the part of Turkey,” he noted.
“In July and August alone, we recorded and reported to the UN 659 violations of our airspace and also of our Exclusive Economic Zone,” he noted, adding that this approach is consistent with Turkey’s failure to align with the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and emphasizing that “it currently stands at just 4 percent. I repeat, 4 percent for a candidate country. Therefore, we encourage Turkey to view the path toward the European Union as an opportunity for itself and not as an obligation to the EU,” the minister concluded.
