Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides will tell other European Union leaders that the bloc needs to achieve further strategic autonomy when the European Council meets later this week, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday.
Focus on strategic autonomy and unity
Letymbiotis said Christodoulides will stress the need to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy, European security and defence, and the importance of a Europe that operates with unity, speed and efficiency. He added that the president will also underline the role of the Republic of Cyprus as a reliable partner and a pillar of stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Military deployments after drone strike
The comments come as multiple EU member states, including Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, deployed military assets to Cyprus and its vicinity after an Iranian-made drone hit the island’s British Akrotiri air force base.
Letymbiotis said the mobilisation and immediate response highlighted European unity in practice and confirmed that Cyprus is at the forefront of Europe. He added that, in this context, a strong political message with particular symbolism emerged.
“Cyprus is not on the edge of Europe, but at the point at which Europe proves its role. Europe is the decision to stand together, and the support for Cyprus was a reminder of what Europe means,” he said.
Calls for permanent EU force presence
After the drone strike, Cypriot member of the European parliament Costas Mavrides of Diko called for the permanent stationing of an EU military force on the island.
“The last few years, we have seen the war in Ukraine, and now the war in Iran. We need to go beyond national armies. We need [an] EU defence mechanism to protect Europe; a regional EU defence. A permanent representation of EU forces in Cyprus is the first concrete step,” he said.
Deputy minister addresses European Parliament
Cypriot European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna told a European Parliament plenary session that “for Cyprus, the situation is not theoretical”.
What steps should the European Union take to strengthen its strategic autonomy and defence?