The European Union’s (EU) spokesperson for foreign and security policy, Peter Stano, stated that any threat to Cyprus is a threat to the other 26 member states of the bloc.
Stano’s comments came in response to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who warned Cyprus could be drawn into a wider conflict if the island nation allows Israel to use its ports and airports for operations against Lebanon.
Stano emphasized that the EU fully supports Cyprus and is in contact with “numerous partners in the region,” including Lebanon and Hezbollah, to de-escalate tensions.
In recent years, Cyprus has enjoyed increasingly close relations with Israel, driven by the discovery of offshore natural gas fields in the waters between the two neighbors. Cyprus has hosted joint Israeli-Cypriot military exercises but has not been involved in any military operations.
Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis reiterated that any suggestion of Cyprus being involved in military operations in Lebanon through its infrastructure or territory is “completely unfounded.”
Letymbiotis reiterated that the island nation is “not part of the problem” but “part of the solution,” thanks to its regional diplomatic presence.
E.Dz.
