Nicosia, Cyprus. The government on Thursday again sought to distance itself from the upcoming meeting in Cyprus of the Gaza Executive Board, with Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos saying the island is merely the venue for the gathering. The Executive Board will hold a two-day summit in Cyprus next week, on June 30 and July 1.
Government position
Kombos said Cyprus is not organising, co-organising or participating in the discussions that will take place. He said the Republic of Cyprus has observer status with regard to the Board of Peace only in matters exclusively related to Gaza.
Cyprus proposals
He said the initiative was undertaken by the organisers and that Cyprus knows some of them and maintains frequent contacts. He added that Cyprus has submitted proposals regarding developments in Gaza in both the humanitarian field and reconstruction.
Kombos said Cyprus’ proposals would undoubtedly be discussed during any bilateral meetings with some members of the Executive Board.
Conflict impact and financing
The foreign minister said the conflict in the Persian Gulf has caused significant delays in progress on both financing and the implementation of specific projects in Gaza. He welcomed what he described as renewed interest in the issue.
Kombos confirmed that financing would be among the topics to be discussed by the Gaza Executive Board.
Reconstruction role
Asked whether Cyprus could become a hub for the reconstruction of Gaza, Kombos said that at this stage it should be kept in mind that the effort is resuming.
On whether Cyprus could move from observer status to membership in the Gaza Board of Peace, he described such suggestions as idle speculation.
