Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides, expressed his satisfaction with the proposals made by NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller for EU-NATO cooperation, including EU non-NATO members, during the deliberations of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.
In his intervention at the discussion, the Foreign Minister welcomed Rose Gottemoeller’s comments on the need for EU-NATO cooperation and expressed Cyprus`s support for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two Organizations, stressing that it should continue to take place on the basis of known principles and parameters, ensuring that all EU Member States and all NATO Member States are involved in all aspects of cooperation.
He also pointed out that EU Ambassadors` level of ambition requires the maintenance of autonomous mechanisms for analyzing and addressing security threats, to the benefit of the EU and its citizens, the Cyprus News Agency reports.
In the context of migration issues discussion, the Foreign Minister expressed his solidarity with Greece and Italy, the two countries with the largest migratory flows, and stressed that the Member States would have to keep their commitments.
The Minister pointed out that the EU`s focus is on migratory flows in the Central Mediterranean, but the member states should not miss out on the so called eastern pathway, used during 2015. Minister Kasoulides briefed his counterparts on the number of immigrants arriving recently in Cyprus from the southern Turkish coasts. He said migratory flows to the Eastern Mediterranean states have diminished, but he pointed out that there is always a risk of further growth.
On the sidelines of the Council, the Foreign Minister had a meeting with his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, and informed him about the current developments in the Cyprus issue, ahead of the conference in Switzerland.
On Tuesday the Foreign Minister will take part in the work of the EU General Affairs Council, which will discuss the preparation of the European Council to be held on 22-23 June, as well as the Council`s 18-month program.
A “27” meeting will follow where Brexit issues will be discussed, in particular the procedure for the selection of the new seats for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA).
Source: Goldnews
