Doorstep statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Constantinos Kombos, ahead of the Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Warsaw

It is with great pleasure that I’m attending the Gymnich meeting here in Warsaw, and I would like to extend a warm thank you to the host for the excellent hospitality and also for the excellent organisation.

A few comments on the agenda.

We’re starting with a meeting with David Lammy, the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary. I believe that the UK is a natural ally of the European Union (EU), and this is not a matter of necessity or convenience. The UK is in a unique position because it has been part of our European family for decades. And we believe that we should be working towards establishing a calibrated special relationship with the UK.

Tomorrow, we will be discussing the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and, of course, the United States (US)-EU relations. The two are naturally interrelated, and Cyprus advocates for a structured, intensive and continuous dialogue between the EU and the US.

At the same time, after the conclusion of the workings of Gymnich, the Polish Presidency will be hosting an informal lunch with the participation of nine candidate countries or aspiring candidate countries.

The focus will be on hybrid threats, and Cyprus will be advocating once again for the enrichment of our toolbox for tailor-made solutions and rapid reaction. We should also not hesitate to name the culprits and, of course, we should not shy away from looking beyond the usual suspects.

As regards enlargement, Cyprus fully supports it on the basis of merit and established conditionalities. This is the path, and we encourage all aspiring member states to focus on compliance with the rules rather than focusing on the creation of exceptions.

Thank you.

(AP/AS/IA)

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