The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, attended Friday, 28 September, in the margins of the UN General Assembly, in New York, a Ministerial Breakfast on “Mediation in the Mediterranean Region”, a joint initiative by Spain and Morocco.
While taking the floor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed the Spanish-Moroccan initiative and noted that there is not only one mediation formula, but each case needs to be handled separately. She also added that each mediator must act strictly according to the international law and on the basis of UN resolutions and the UN Charter. Dr Kozakou-Marcoullis also made special reference to the key role of women in mediation efforts towards the peaceful resolution of problems, and referred to the UN efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The Foreign Minister also had bilateral contacts with her counterparts of Andorra, Mr Gilbert Saboya Sunye, Bhutan, Mr Khandu Wangchuk, Cape Verde, Mr Jorge Alberto da Silva Borges, Egypt, Mr Mohamed K. Amr, and Lebanon, Mr Adnan Mansour. EU-Andorra relations were discussed in the meeting with the Andorran Foreign Minister, while with the Egyptian Foreign Minister views were exchanged on the situation in the wider region of the Middle East. During the meeting with the Minister of Cape Verde, relations at the country with the EU in the framework of the ACP Group (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States), were discussed as well as ways to further enhance them. In the meeting with the Bhutan Foreign Minister, Cyprus’ support for a non-permanent Security Council candidacy of the country was discussed. At the meeting with her Egyptian and Lebanese counterparts, Dr Kozakou-Marcoullis discussed issues related to the Organization of Islamic Conference.
At noon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs held a meeting with the leadership of the American Jewish Committee, and discussed issues of mutual interest, particularly concerning the Mediterranean and the Middle East.