Cyprus’ role as a bridge between the EU and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as opportunities for greater cooperation in defence, energy and infrastructure, were discussed at the House foreign affairs committee on Tuesday.

The discussion examined the challenges, opportunities and strategic priorities facing Cyprus as an EU member state on the bloc’s eastern Mediterranean frontier, with MEPs Costas Mavrides of Diko and Fidias Panayiotou of Direct Democracy also attending.

Foreign ministry Middle East department head Andrea Petranyi said Cyprus had highlighted the importance of the region during its EU Council presidency, culminating in an informal summit in Nicosia in April attended by five regional leaders.

She also referred to the Cypriot delegation currently attending the UN General Assembly in New York and meetings being held by President Nikos Christodoulides and Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos with regional leaders and representatives.

Cyprus, she said, consistently promotes itself as a bridge between the region and the EU.

Representing the defence ministry, Lieutenant Colonel Panicos Papagrigoriou of the defence diplomacy department described Cyprus’ defence cooperation with countries in the region as “excellent”.

He pointed to the signing of Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) with Israel and Jordan and upgraded cooperation with Egypt, adding that Cyprus’ role as a bridge to the EU helped provide access to new capabilities and opportunities.

Commerce chamber (Keve) deputy secretary-general Andreas Andreou said regional stability contributed to economic growth, describing Cyprus as a pillar of stability and cooperation.

He stressed the need to upgrade infrastructure, citing the container terminal at Limassol port, while also pointing to opportunities for Cyprus to support neighbouring countries in the energy sector and the potential for further development of the island’s defence industry.

Mavrides said strategic partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean could be developed around energy and security, citing the East Mediterranean Gas Forum and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

He said Cyprus’ EU council presidency had demonstrated that the country could act as a bridge between Europe and the region, while European efforts towards greater energy and defence autonomy could serve both national and EU interests.

Panayiotou, meanwhile, raised concerns that the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) could create problems in the future.

He argued that Cyprus remained vulnerable to attacks on electricity generation facilities and proposed the creation of an extensive energy storage network.

He also backed investment in European defence capabilities and greater solidarity among EU member states, while calling for improved coordination between authorities at national level.

Committee chairman and Disy MP Giorgos Karoullas asked whether Cyprus had a national strategy for advancing its interests in the region and how, as an EU member state, it could secure policies and financial tools to strengthen dual-use infrastructure.

Akel MP Marina Nicolaou asked about progress towards trilogue negotiations on the next Horizon Europe programming period, while Alma MP Irene Charalambides raised Turkey’s potential participation in the EU’s SAFE defence programme through acquisitions of Italian companies.

Direct Democracy MP Diana Constantinidou asked what a holistic national strategy for the region would entail.

Responding, Petranyi said Cyprus’ regional strategy included initiatives pursued through the EU, citing the EU regional firefighting centre in Paphos and the CYCLOPS training centre in Larnaca.

Foreign ministry official Angelos Lenos said a new round of negotiations had begun over funding for EU external action, with planning based on geographical and thematic criteria. He also referred to the secretariat overseeing Cyprus’ trilateral cooperation mechanisms and monitoring progress in those partnerships.

On Turkey and SAFE, Mavrides said the relevant member state, in this case Italy, would have to confirm that the participation of a company with foreign ownership did not run contrary to the EU’s vital interests.

Regarding Horizon Europe, he said the defence component had passed through the European Parliament’s defence committee with Turkey excluded, but that the overall programme had not yet reached the trilogue stage.