The European People’s Party manifesto acknowledges Cyprus as a “European pillar of stability in the region” and calls for a Cyprus solution, based on UN and EU principles.

Furthermore, it calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops from the island and implement the Ankara Protocol, while underlining respect for the sovereign rights of EU members states’ on their natural resources.

The manifesto, adopted Friday in the 22nd EPP Congress in Dublin, says that the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Syria and in Egypt, underline the importance of Cyprus as a European pillar of stability in the region.

In light of the important oil and gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean, it is added, Cyprus also plays a central role in bolstering EU`s energy security.

“These developments underline the need for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question based on UN Security Council resolutions and on the principles on which the European Union is founded” the EPP manifesto says.

Turkey, it is noted, should take all necessary steps, including the withdrawal of troops, to avoid any kind of threat or action against a member state or source of friction or actions, which could damage good neighborly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In particular, the manifesto calls on Turkey to implement the Ankara protocol, hand over Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants, and respect the sovereign rights of EU Member States to explore and exploit their natural resources in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.