EU Foreign Ministers to discuss Turkey

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides joins his EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council to discuss regional moves by Turkey.

The Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the issue of Turkey will be the focus of the meeting with EU Foreign Ministers holding a strategic discussion in light of developments in Libya, illegal drilling offshore Cyprus and challenged maritime rights in Greece.

“EU Foreign Ministers will be briefed by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on the outcome of his recent visit to Ankara, and Ministers will outline their positions on the prospects of any further dialogue between the EU and Turkey,” said a statement in Nicosia.

“Furthermore, EU Foreign Ministers will exchange views on the state of play on a series of issues associated with EU Foreign Policy, including the situation in Libya, the Middle East Peace Process, Hong Kong and Venezuela and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean,” it added.

Nicosia and Athens have called for the EU to do more to prevent Turkey from escalating tensions in the East Med by ignoring the sovereign rights of both Cyprus and Greece.

The Council which will be held with a physical presence for the first time since February due to COVID-19.