President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday that the European Union should establish a specific mechanism outlining the steps to be followed if a member state decides to activate Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union.
Speaking at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Limassol, the President said the issue will be discussed at the upcoming informal European Council meeting.
Need for a structured EU response
Christodoulides noted that several EU member states, including Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, had already responded immediately to developments affecting Cyprus, even though Article 42.7 had not been formally activated.
He said that during discussions at the last European Council meeting, the 27 EU leaders, together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, agreed that a clear mechanism should be developed for the actions the European Union would take if the clause were invoked.
According to the President, Article 42.7 has been activated only once so far, by France following the terrorist attacks in Paris. He added that the European Commission has been tasked with preparing a framework outlining the steps to be followed in such cases.
Christodoulides said this initiative aligns with the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which seeks to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy.
He noted that the solidarity shown by EU partners in recent developments was significant, as European allies came to Cyprus to assist in strengthening the country’s defence capabilities even without the formal activation of Article 42.7.
Proposals to be discussed
Asked whether Cyprus has specific proposals, the President said that proposals exist while the European Commission is also preparing a draft framework that will be discussed with the aim of reaching concrete decisions on how the EU should operate when the clause is triggered.
Meeting with Erhurman
Christodoulides also referred to his meeting later in the day with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, stressing that the encounter should not be viewed as a routine meeting.
“I disagree completely with the approach that nothing is expected,” he said, noting that the meeting follows discussions he held with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Brussels.
The President said he is attending the meeting with a clear political will to achieve results on issues related to the substance of the Cyprus problem.
He added that the outcome will depend not only on Erhurman but also on the stance of Turkey.
Despite the difficulties surrounding the Cyprus issue, Christodoulides said that efforts are ongoing and pointed to the two expanded conferences that have already taken place as well as the continued engagement of the UN Secretary-General.
“We are not yet at the desired goal,” he said, adding that progress requires continued effort so that optimism can translate into concrete results.