Europe “cannot remain an awkward spectator” amid “dangerous events” ongoing in the Middle East, House president Annita Demetriou said on Thursday.

In a video uploaded to her social media channels following the day’s summit of party leaders from the European People’s Party in Brussels, she said Europe “must play a decisive diplomatic role with the aim of permanently de-escalating tensions and establishing a sustainable ceasefire”.

“It is also commonly accepted that Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons,” she said, adding that at the day’s summit, she had “stressed the geostrategic role of Cyprus as a factor of stability and peace in the wider region”, and as “Europe’s gateway to the Eastern Mediterranean”.

She went on to say that the day’s discussion also “focused on other crucial issues”, including European defence and security, the consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the challenges of enlargement of the European Union, the “need for competitiveness and sustainable development”, and ambitious climate goals.

In addition, she said, party leaders had discussed migration.

She said her counterparts had “adopted our own additions” to joint conclusions, including “strict conditions for participation in the common defence policy”, “more solidarity on migration”, and “support for the electrical interconnections of all [EU] member states”.

As well as these conclusions, she also highlighted that the EPP’s conclusions had stressed “support for the efforts to integrate Cyprus into the Schengen area, calling on the European Commission to speed up the process”.

She added that she “welcomes the clear reference to the Cyprus issue” in the EPP’s conclusions.

“The reunification of Cyprus, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and European Union principles, is a priority for the EPP and a catalyst for relations between the EU and Turkey,” she said.

“Europe must remain united and solution oriented. People demand results and we have a responsibility to deliver them. That is why we are here and that is why we will continue on this path.”

The EPP is a group of Europe’s centre-right political parties and makes up the largest group in the European parliament. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President Nikos Christodoulides and Demetriou’s Disy are all members.