March 29, 2024

Address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, before the Regular Session of the Foreign Ministers’ Council of the League of Arab States, in Cairo, September 5, 2012

Your Excellency, Secretary General of the League of Arab States,Excellencies, Foreign Ministers of the member states of the League of Arab States,

I am deeply honoured to be speaking in front of the League of Arab States (LAS), which has been showing its true colours during the last two years with regard to the crises in Libya and Syria. 

It has been almost two years since a monumental historic transformation has been taking place before our eyes in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arab Spring embodies the hopes, the dreams and aspirations of a people for greater freedom, for greater dignity, and for a more widespread and fairer distribution of economic opportunities and resources.

The journey is still advancing. We are now moving into the most critical period, which takes place at a time of great turmoil in the global economy.

Undoubtedly, it will be important to manage this difficult transition in an orderly way. And here, I want to pay tribute especially to the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, who are going through a smooth and inclusive process of transition.

Unfortunately, this is not yet the case with Syria which is still bleeding, with the massacres of innocent civilians to have become a daily tragic phenomenon and a deep scar in the conscience of humanity.

The European Union, in close collaboration with the League of Arab States, has been at the forefront of international efforts to bring an end to the explosive situation in Syria, which has resulted so far in the loss of over 25.000 lives, a million displaced persons and over 200.000 refugees in neighbouring countries. The EU is determined to redouble its efforts so that the political transition that will reflect the true aspirations of the Syrian people will start expeditiously, stability will be brought to Syria and sectarian violence will be avoided.

The EU, at the same time, remains deeply concerned about the spillover effects of the Syrian crisis in neighbouring countries, in terms of security and stability. In particular, with regard to Lebanon, I would like to reiterate, from this floor, once again, Cyprus’ strong and continued commitment to Lebanon’s unity, stability, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Cyprus’ close proximity to Lebanon and the strong and historic bonds of friendship and cooperation we share with the Lebanese people strengthens our commitment to assist, in any way we can, in full solidarity and brotherhood.

Another important and historical file you will be discussing during this Regular Session of the Foreign Ministers’ Council of the League of Arab States will be, once again, the Palestinian issue.

The resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict is a strategic priority for the EU. We are convinced that the ongoing changes across the Arab world make the need for progress on the Middle East Peace Process all the more urgent. “The Middle East Peace Process”, as the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso rightly said last July, during his visit to the Palestinian occupied territories, “cannot become an orphan of the Arab Spring”.

Through their overall political and financial support, the EU has been at the forefront in laying the solid foundations of a future democratic and viable Palestinian state –its institutions and its infrastructure.

In the Foreign Affairs Council last May, the EU, while expressing deep concern about developments on the ground, has reiterated in a clear and unequivocal manner its position and its determination to contribute to maintaining the viability of the two-state solution in accordance with international law, by reminding once again, among others, that settlements remain illegal under international law, no changes to the 1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties, and that a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states.

Excellencies,

Two years on, the transition in the Arab Spring countries is still going on, through substantial challenges. While each country in the region must find its own path to change, the over-arching economic goals of the Arab Spring remain clear: higher growth, growth that creates more jobs, and growth that is shared equitably among all strands of society.

The European Union is fully committed to our partnership with the Arab world. Despite the global economic crisis, the EU considers the Arab world as of strategic interest. The EU has committed to being here in the Arab world not only just for the short term, but for the medium and the long term, because this is a long term strategic goal.

The new EU neighbourhood policy, to cope with this strategic partnership with the Arab world, has been built on three M’s. First: Money – getting additional resources into the area, in public and private sector investment, to get business moving and to get the infrastructure in place. Second: Mobility – offering support especially for the young people and for businesses to take advantage of educational and business opportunities in the EU. And Third: Market access how do we support them through trade to enable them to grow their economies and to get the kind of reinforcement they need.

On a national level, Cyprus, a historic friend of the Arab world through our many years of common struggles within the Non-Aligned Movement, views the changes in the Arab world with great admiration and confidence. Cyprus –in the name of the close geographical proximity, long-standing friendship and thousands of years of shared history that unites us with the Arab world– has a responsibility to be supportive.

Without interfering in the political life of sovereign states, Cyprus wants to and must actively contribute, bilaterally and multilaterally, within the EU and not only, to the progress of democratic, economic and societal transitions.

We will do so while upholding certain great principles: a rejection of the use of violence against the people, the defence of fundamental rights, respect for pluralism and the rights of minorities and women, and the need for radical reforms to respond to people’s economic and social expectations. Having asserted these principles, the question of method obviously is up to each of the respective societies to find this path.

It is Cyprus’ firm belief that the EU, in order to exercise its historical responsibilities, needs a strong and credible partner in the Southern neighbourhood. That partner is the League of Arab States, which has shown the political will to meet the new political realities and challenges in the region and to present itself as a central point of reference for its member states, the EU and the globe. Cooperation with the LAS could transcend the EU’s immediate neighbourhood and extend to political processes in Africa, as well as globally.

We are extremely satisfied that the preparations for holding, during Cyprus’ EU Presidency’s, the 2nd EU-LAS Foreign ministerial meeting, in Cairo, in November 2012, as well as the consultations between the EU’s Political and Security Committee (PSC) Ambassadors with LAS Permanent Representatives, at the end of this month, in Cairo, first of their kind, are proceeding smoothly.

We strongly believe that cooperation and dialogue between the EU and LAS on issues of common interest should be intensified, enhanced and institutionalised as appropriate. Projects on Early Warning and Crisis Response, diplomatic training and training on electoral observation are going ahead and other priority areas for cooperation: human rights and civil society, women empowerment, energy cooperation, tourism, fisheries, as well as legal cooperation and culture, are also very promising for the future cooperation between the EU and LAS.

We wish to build on further cooperation with the League of Arab States. The prospects are enormous and through joint efforts we can move to a new era of friendship, solidarity and partnership.

I thank you for your attention.