The complications emerging in the strategic dialogue between the European Union and NATO are solely attributed to Turkey’s refusal to recognize the fact that the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member-state, is a part of whichever cooperation between the EU and other international organizations, Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Etako Kozakou-Marcoullis has said.

Marcoullis met on Thursday with a delegation of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), which pays a three-day working visit to Cyprus, in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.

According to an official press release issued here today, during the meeting Marcoullis and the SEDE members discussed the role of the European Parliament in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy and exchanged views on the role of the Parliaments of the EU member-states in the wider framework of the CSDP after the Lisbon Treaty. The discussion also touched upon ways of further enhancing the CSDP in view of the discussion to take place in the EU Summit in December 2013.

The Cypriot FM also had the opportunity to outline to the MEPs the complications emerging in the strategic dialogue between the EU and NATO, which are solely due to the intransigent stance of Turkey which refuses to recognize the fact that the EU comprises 27 member-states and that the Republic of Cyprus is a part of whichever cooperation between the EU and other international organizations.

Furthermore, the discussion covered Turkey’s EU accession course, while on the developments in Syria, both sides affirmed the important role Cyprus could play assisting the EU efforts to manage the humanitarian issues emerging from the crisis that is unfolding the area.

Cyprus, an EU member-state since May 2004, has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

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