Kombos stresses concern over Gaza at EU Council meeting

Cyprus remains extremely concerned for the situation in Gaza, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said in his remarks at the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU in Luxembourg on Monday.

He also reiterated the country’s readiness to extend the operations of the maritime humanitarian corridor.

According to a press release, in his intervention, Kombos also called for restraint and avoiding further escalation and destabilisation in the region.

The agenda of the EU council meeting also included the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East and Sudan.

During the discussion on the situation in Ukraine, Kombos stressed that Cyprus looks forward to the full activation of the Ukraine Assistance Fund.

Regarding the sanctions against Russia, he underlined the need for effective implementation as well as addressing matters of sanctions circumvention.

On developments in Sudan, Kombos said that Cyprus is committed in sending humanitarian assistance and supporting initiatives towards the country’s democratic transition and preventing migration flows to the EU.

After the EU Council, the foreign ministers participated in the European Union – Gulf Cooperation Council forum on regional security and cooperation, where Kombos held bilateral meetings with the deputy foreign ministers of Kuwait and Bahrain.