President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah during a telephone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Makati and offered the island’s help.

He also expressed the readiness of Cyprus to contribute in any way it could – as it is the EU country that is closest and has excellent relations with all countries of the region – both in terms of the agreement and any other issue required, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.

Makati thanked him for the support of Cyprus and its continued interest in his country and outlined to Christodoulides the details of the agreement and how its implementation will be monitored.

The two leaders agreed to keep up their frequent contacts.

Christodoulides words were echoed by the foreign ministry, which said it was convinced that the ceasefire was the first step in deescalating the crisis in the whole region.

“The sovereignty of both Lebanon and Israel must be fully respected,” it added.

Cyprus, it added, “recognises the systematic mediating efforts of the USA and France, which were decisive in this development.

“Cyprus fully supports efforts towards efforts to deescalating tensions in the wider region,” it concluded.

The ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday after Israel and Hezbollah accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, described as a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatised by two devastating wars for over a year.