Raouna: The EU Must Lead De-escalation in the Middle East

The Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, emphasized the need for the European Union to take a leading role in de-escalating tensions in the Middle East, upon her arrival at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

Raouna described the situation as deeply worrying and condemned the attack on the Greek Orthodox church in Damascus. She also referred to the initiatives of the Republic of Cyprus to promote diplomacy and stability in the region.

"We [as the EU] must remain at the forefront. We must lead this de-escalation," the Deputy Minister stated.

Regarding security and defense issues, Raouna reminded that Cyprus strongly supports the strengthening of the European defense industry, as it considers it key to strategic autonomy and a more sovereign European Union.