In difficult days for the Middle East, Israel and the civilians of the Gaza Strip, with the situation currently showing no signs of de-escalation, the European Union is once again trying to find common ground. In the shadow of the stormy developments in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus emerges as a safe harbor with calm waters and this was also highlighted in the context of the Ministerial Conference on EU Enlargement held on Thursday in Berlin.

In addition to the issues that are perennially on the agenda of Nicosia-Berlin bilateral contacts, such as the Cyprus issue, this time the personal contacts of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus Dr. Constantinou Kobous with his German counterpart Analena Burbock also focused on the new role that Cyprus is called upon to play in the midst of the developments in its neighborhood. A role that is not really new, but is de facto dictated by both the geographical proximity to the Middle East and the important geopolitical position of Cyprus for the security of the EU.

“HOME project”

“Cyprus, being the EU country closest to the Middle East, aims to avoid a further escalation of the crisis that has arisen as a result of the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7. At the same time, we have declared from the first moment our readiness to contribute to addressing the humanitarian impact of the conflict, based on our regional foreign policy based on the excellent bilateral relations we have cultivated with our neighboring countries,” he told Deutsche Welle. Konstantinos Kombos from Berlin.

The role of Cyprus at the given time briefly includes two axes: on the one hand the ESTIA project and on the other hand the proposal for a humanitarian corridor. As for the first part, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs explains to DW, “from the first days of the crisis, Cyprus activated the Special National Plan ESTIA which provides for the assistance of the departure of citizens of third countries from conflict areas. The activation and implementation of the Plan highlight once again the role of the Republic of Cyprus as a safe harbor for the repatriation of citizens from a large number of countries and the provision of all necessary assistance”.

“Controlled and sustainable humanitarian corridor”

The second and more complex issue concerns the creation of a “controlled and sustainable humanitarian sea corridor for the provision of unimpeded and safe humanitarian aid to Gaza”, an initiative recently announced by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, on the sidelines of the recent European Council.

“The goal is to have a safe, controlled, stable and long-term provision of large amounts of humanitarian aid to ensure that it reaches those who really need it,” explains Constantinos Kombos, stressing that “the parameters of this initiative are under discussion with our partners, both in the region and within the EU, without being dogmatic in relation to specific aspects that can contribute to a positive outcome, when the conditions allow it”.

In fact, as he notes, Cyprus hopes that “there will be agreement and consent so that the aid reaches where it should” because “humanitarian aid must be strengthened and not idle. Otherwise, we will have a humanitarian disaster that will contribute to the ignition of the region.”

At the same time, for Germany, Cyprus is once again emerging as a valuable partner and ally in practice. According to the German Ministry of Defense and the German Embassy in Cyprus, military personnel of the German armed forces are already in Cyprus for the purpose of assisting in the humanitarian evacuation of civilians. Finally, the frigate Baden-Württemberg has docked in Limassol, taking over from the corvette Oldenburg, as part of the action of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.