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At the outset, I wish to
express my deep appreciation to Egypt, to President Sisi, for organizing this
important Summit at this critical juncture for our region. Egypt’s role as a
bedrock and promoter of peace and stability in the region is critical.
Cyprus is participating as a
country of the region – the closest EU member state - whose
security is directly affected by the developments in the Middle East.
Cyprus is also present as a
neighbouring country with excellent relations with all countries of the
region, ready to contribute and assist in any way possible to de-escalate
this conflict and facilitate the transfer of humanitarian assistance.
The high level of
representation is indicative of the urgency to overcome the crisis and to
engage in a dialogue in order to find viable solutions to the complex and
recurring challenges our region faces.
In this regard, Cyprus’s
approach to tackling the current crisis is governed by the following
elements:
1. Terrorism
is a common threat for all of our countries and there is never any
justification; we have therefore unequivocally condemned Hamas’ terrorist
attack of the 7th of October.
2. The fact
that Hamas, does not represent all Palestinian people or the Palestinian
cause.
3. The right
to self-defense must always be exercised in line with international law,
including international humanitarian law.
4. The need
for permanent de-escalation.
5. The vital
importance of protecting all civilians - the targeting of civilians and
civilian infrastructure is unacceptable.
6. Ensuring
that humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza. We fully acknowledge Egypt’s
pivotal role, also in this respect. To this end, Cyprus stands ready to
assist in any way possible.
7. The need
for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
and,
8. The
recommitment to a viable two-state solution, in line with the parameters
reflected in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. This can be the
only viable solution to the problem. It is abundantly clear that we have no
other option but to create the conditions for the resumption of a meaningful
peace process.
Our region cannot afford to
continue addressing its crises in fire-fighting mode. What this crisis, as
well as other recent crises have taught us, is that there are no frozen
conflicts. That in the absence of viable, lasting peace, there is always the
risk of erupting conflict, with devastating consequences and ripple effects.
In the vacuum created in the
absence of fair and viable political solutions that address the root causes
of conflicts, we will not see an end to the cycle of violence.
The current conflict also
presents a serious national security threat that cannot be overstated and
should not be underestimated, particularly for the countries of our region.
For example, Egypt and Jordan, are shouldering enormous migratory burden.
They cannot be expected to shoulder any more.
Moreover, we fully understand
and appreciate Egypt’s legitimate, real concerns because we know that Egypt
is a catalyst of stability in our region and its security should not and
cannot be jeopardized.
We also share the fear that, as
has often been the case in the past, our neighbourhood will disproportionately
bear the brunt of the consequences of this conflict.
We cannot be expected to do
that on our own. This is not a regional crisis of limited concern or impact.
It is fundamentally a question of international peace and security and a
challenge that our global collective security system must respond to.
The Secretary-General of the
United Nations, whose presence here today I very much welcome, must be given
space to contribute decisively to peace-making in the Middle East and to
contain the ramifications of this crisis.
Our region cannot afford
further instability. It is in dire need of peace, stability, and security.
RM/IS
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