Nicosia, Cyprus. Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis said the recent amassing of military assets in and around Cyprus, following a drone strike on the island’s British Akrotiri air force base, is a product of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union.
Androulakis comments during meeting with president
Androulakis made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides at the presidential palace.
He said the situation “was not a given a few decades ago” and described it as the product of Cyprus joining the European Union while the Cyprus problem remained unsolved, saying it was achieved with extensive work and planning by the Pasok government at the time and then-prime minister Costas Simitis.
Androulakis said “solidarity” with Cyprus had been demonstrated after the drone strike through the presence of Greece and other European states which, he said, came to ensure and strengthen the security of the Cypriot people.
Position on Middle East conflict and EU role
Speaking about the conflict in the Middle East, Androulakis said no European Union member state should participate in any way in the war, and that European states should show unlimited support and solidarity to any member state which requests it.
He added that non-involvement does not mean inaction, and called on Cyprus, as the current holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, to take strong diplomatic initiatives aimed at peace in the Middle East. He said that without stopping the war, its significant consequences will not stop.
Christodoulides on deployments and Cyprus’ role
Christodoulides said the mass deployment of military assets to Cyprus and its vicinity constitutes “solidarity in practice”.
He said Cyprus is part of the region’s geography but not part of the crisis, adding that over time Cyprus has been part of the solution to regional problems rather than part of the problem.
Military deployments cited
Greece was the first state to deploy military assets to Cyprus after the drone strike, sending two frigates, including the Kimon, which the Greek Prime Minister later described during a visit to the island as the “pride of the Greek fleet”, and stationing four F-16 fighter jets in Paphos.
France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom have also deployed naval or aerial assets to Cyprus and its vicinity.
What role do you think Cyprus should play in pursuing diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East?
