Cyprus expresses readiness to provide facilities to its European partners in view of developments in Afghanistan

Cyprus has expressed its readiness to provide facilities to its European partners in view of developments in Afghanistan.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) has learned that the Foreign Ministry`s Permanent Secretary, Kornelios Korneliou, who represented Cyprus, on Tuesday afternoon, at the EU Foreign Ministers extraordinary videoconference which the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell convened to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, expressed, during his intervention, Cyprus` deep concern over the rapid developments and the tragic events in Afghanistan.

He noted that the priority right now is to look into the humanitarian aspect of the issue and to provide the necessary consular assistance. Moreover he expressed Cyprus` readiness to provide facilities to its European partners, if this is necessary.

The Cypriot official also stressed the need to discuss the dimension related to the migration issue and the impact of this crisis in terms of security. In particular, he referred to the need of remaining vigilant with a view to prevent the exploitation of migration by certain countries.

Korneliou noted that ways to ensure calm, avoidance of violence and the respect of human lives and human rights, including the respect to the Afghan people`s fundamental rights, must be examined.

More specifically he expressed Cyprus` deep concern over the very serious possibility of developments in Afghanistan having painful repercussions on women`s, girls` and minorities` rights. He underlined that the EU has the obligation to do its utmost with a view to safeguard women`s and girls` rights, sending clearly the necessary messages.

He noted that in the framework of its potential, Cyprus is looking with a spirit of solidarity into the possibility of responding to concrete requests related to a certain number of vulnerable women and girls.