President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides pointed out the need for a roadmap on how the EU will approach the new state of affairs in Syria, in connection with positive steps that need to be taken by the new authorities when it comes to the political transition, the creation of an inclusive government and respect for human rights. The President was speaking upon his arrival to the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.

President Christodoulides said that he will present a proposal in this regard during the discussion, adding that this is a message he is bringing also from the states of the region.

In his statements, the President also referred to the recent General Affairs Council conclusions on enlargement in relation to Turkey, which will be endorsed by the leaders, and that he was informed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about her recent meeting with Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan.

The President also said that “the removal of Assad, together with the removal of some countries that did not play a positive role, is a very positive development”, and stressed the need to ensure the independence of the country, without interference “neither from Russia, nor from Iran, nor of course from Turkey”.

In addition to the situation in Syria, the European Council’s agenda includes the issue of migration (on which the President participated in a discussion of member states hosted by Denmark before the meeting) and the EU’s place in the world.

President Christodoulides said this is a very important European Council, the first with the new President of the European Council and the first of the new Commission, but also the first since the US elections.

“The debate on Europe’s role in the world is of particular importance”, he stressed, noting that “our position is clear on the need to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the European Union” which “goes through the area of defence, security, competitiveness, productivity, in a highly competitive international environment.”

The EU, President Christodoulides stressed, “should not be dependent on either the decisions or the choices of any third countries. So the debate is of particular importance, especially to see how we create the conditions” for the EU to have “a leading role and not to follow developments, as is the case in many issues, especially in foreign policy.”

Asked about the future of transatlantic relations, President Christodoulides said that he fully understood their importance and that at the same time the EU needs “to work for the strategic autonomy of the European Union” for “defence, security, competitiveness, productivity” and that “we need to have a leading role, especially in those issues that are taking place in our neighbourhood.”

Developments in Syria

Specifically on the debate on Syria, the President stressed that “undoubtedly we all consider the development of the removal of Assad to be positive” but that it is more important at this moment “to look at the future of Syria and what kind of Syria we want.”

He also pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus is “less than 80 kilometres from Syria” and that “for this reason we have submitted a specific paper for discussion together with Greece and Austria.”

The position of Cyprus, as he presented it also during the European People’s Party presummit before the EUCO, focuses on “the need for a common approach of the 27 together with the neighbouring states.” He estimated that there will be “no particular American interest in developments in Syria, but as the European Union, together with the neighbouring states, we must have a common policy.”

“This is what I will present today, a roadmap of developments that we want to see in Syria” on the basis of which “if there is a response on the part of the Syrian government, there should be a response on our part” he explained.

“Assad was welcomed because it also removed the leading role of some third countries in the region. We should not now see this role being replaced by Turkey claiming to play this role,” he stressed, noting in parallel the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity, protection of minorities in the country and the need for Syria to have an inclusive government.

Repeating that there should be a roadmap according to which the EU will react positively depending on positive developments, the President noted that “this is the message I am bringing from the states of the region and in particular from the President of Egypt, the King of Jordan and the President of the United Arab Emirates.”

“I want to reiterate that the removal of Assad, together with the removal of some countries that did not play a positive role, is a very positive development and we welcome it. But what is more important now is to ensure what I have mentioned to you, to talk about an independent country. Neither from Russia, nor from Iran, nor of course from Turkey,” he stressed.

He also stressed the importance of the appointment of a Syria envoy by the EU, and that things are moving fast and the EU needs to be ahead.

“We cannot claim a role and not have a representative on the Syrian issue. Developments are running. We have to be ahead, we have to be protagonists,” he said.

The situation in Syria, according to the President, “is also linked to the issue of the debate on Europe’s role in the world” as “if we do not have a role in our neighbourhood, we cannot claim any role in another region.”

He referred to what happened after the Arab Spring, “which was welcomed by the entire international community and in the end, in many cases we ended up having an Arab winter” and stressed that “we do not want a repeat of phenomena worse than those that existed.”

Asked if Cyprus had any contact with the new Syrian authorities, the President said “the European Union has (contact at) a lower level, but Cyprus, we don’t have any contact with them.”

Migration

Referring to the discussion on migration, following up also his participation in a meeting of a group of states hosted by Denmark before the summit, the President said that he was pleased with the remarks made by the President of the Commission in her regular letter to the leaders on the issue.

“By the next European Council in March, we expect to take concrete decisions” through “innovative ideas” that the EU “has to work out and decide on the issue of migration” the President said, adding that these issues will also be touched upon in the context of the political debate on Syria.

Asked whether the discussion in which he participated with Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Malta and Czechia also touched the possibility of returning refugees and asylum seekers to Syria, given that 16 countries have already frozen asylum requests, the President recalled that this is something that Cyprus did “successfully six months ago.”

This decision “has brought results, together with some other moves we made in cooperation with the President of the Commission”, as a result of which “we have stopped the descent of migrants through the sea routes.” “We still have an issue in relation to arrivals through Turkey and crossing to the free areas through the Green Line,” he added, noting that there was a decrease there but “we want to end it.”

He stressed that the issue at the moment is “voluntary returns” which “no one can stop”, adding that in Cyprus “we have voluntary returns of Syrians almost daily, either through Lebanon or Jordan.” He noted that the roadmap he proposed “must also touch on this issue, because you understand that if the human rights of all minorities in Syria are not guaranteed” then “we will have a new wave of migration.”

The President also expressed his satisfaction with the conclusions on enlargement (adopted on Tuesday by the General Affairs Council and due to be endorsed by the leaders at the summit), “especially on Turkey” as the text includes “all Turkey’s primary and not only primary obligations on the basis of the April 2024 conclusions.”

“We have also heard the President of the Commission speaking publicly in Turkey about Turkey’s obligations which are a precondition for progress in EU – Turkish relations,” he added.

The President said he had a first discussion with President Von der Leyen during the EPP Summit on “the messages she conveyed, what answers she received and we will continue this discussion to see the next steps.”

Ukraine

Responding to a question on Ukraine, President Christodoulides said that he considers the discussion that the leaders will have with President Zelensky after the election of the US President to be particularly important.

“I have also seen an interview with the Ukrainian President on CNN that presents a roadmap for a resolution” on Ukraine. In this regard, he said he would ask Zelensky “how he sees things developing from the European Union’s point of view.”

“The support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is something that is non-negotiable, but I repeat we should not wait” for “decisions to be taken in the United States,” he noted, adding that the war in Ukraine is in Europe and in the EU’s neighborhood. “We are affected more than anyone else and that is why we have to take decisions today proactively and not react or follow the decisions.”

Asked whether the EU can take on support for Ukraine alone without the US, he referred to the working dinner held on Tuesday with the NATO Secretary General, and that he expects the 27 to be briefed by the leaders that attended on the results of the discussion and the role NATO can also play in this effort.