Ship positions, weather data and emergency messages flash across monitors at the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center in the port town of Larnaca in southeastern Cyprus.
This is where Cyprus coordinates search and rescue operations in the eastern Mediterranean. It is also where the logistics of running a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza are organized. Some 32,000 tons of humanitarian relief supplies aid from the European Union have been inspected in Cyprus’ ports and shipped on to Gaza.
Cyprus lies between Europe, the Middle East and North Africa — at the intersection of three continents, in the midst of a region currently rife with crises and conflicts. “The flight from here to Lebanon takes 18 minutes, to Tel Aviv 30 minutes, to Jordan 75 minutes, to Damascus 20 minutes, and to Egypt 50 minutes,” Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told journalists at the start of the Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the EU, which began January 1. “As a member state of the European Union, we are also part of the wider Middle East. And I consider this to be a great advantage.”
The presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates among the bloc’s member states every six months. It is now up to Cyprus, one of the EU’s smallest members, to coordinate the Council’s work, chair meetings, and ensure that legislative procedures run smoothly. The Cypriot government hopes to use the presidency as a springboard to playing a larger role on the international stage.
“Cyprus is well positioned to play an active role in Mediterranean diplomacy. It is directly involved in key issues such as energy development, energy security, counterterrorism, migration and maritime security,” said Ian Lesser from the transatlntic-focused think tank, the German Marshall Fund, or GMF, adding that the country was considered a trustworthy partner.
Stability and peace not ‘taken for granted’
Marilena Raouna, the deputy minister for European affairs in Cyprus, said that the “core objective” of the Cypriot presidency was an autonomous European Union “open to the world.” She added that the “Russian invasion and ongoing aggression against Ukraine” had “shattered the illusion that stability and peace can be taken for granted” in the bloc and had also exposed its “strategic dependencies — whether in the field of security or in economic and trade relations.”
Cyprus is one of the few EU countries with excellent strategic relations with key players in the Arab world, “with Egypt and Jordan, with the United Arab Emirates and, at the same time, with Israel,” said Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.
Cyprus has also traditionally maintained close ties with Russia, whose elite liked to visit the island. However, this relationship has soured in the wake of the war with Ukraine and the resulting EU sanctions, which Cyprus has also imposed. Russian tourism there has collapsed. Kombos also said that between 2018 and 2023, 42,728 shell companies had been dissolved and 125,782 bank accounts closed.
Cyprus is also pushing for Europe to expand its own military capabilities as quickly as possible in view of the threat from Russia. The country, which is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Association, or NATO, is planning to invest at least €200 million (around $232 million) in its Mari naval base over the next few years. “The aim is to improve maritime safety and strengthen our capabilities. In doing so, we are contributing to better cooperation with our EU partners and international allies,” said Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas.
During its presidency of the Council of the EU, Cyprus also plans to focus on secure borders and illegal migration. ” Although arrivals across the Mediterranean have declined recently, the danger of new waves of migration remains,” GMF’s Lesser told DW. He added that new political crises or the collapse of states in the region had a direct impact on nearby countries such as Cyprus and Turkey.
But he was not convinced there would be any immediate results. “Major breakthroughs are unlikely in six months. But closer cooperation with countries of origin and transit, the curbing of illegal migration, the fight against smuggling networks, and professional border management are realistic — and effective over time.”
Unresolved division
But even as the Cypriot government has been emphasizing its diplomatic skills and good relations with neighbors, claiming that it wants to build bridges in the Mediterranean region, the division of Cyprus remains unresolved. The island has been divided since 1973 and in the north lies the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized internationally only by Turkey, In the south is the Republic of Cyprus, which has close ties with Greece. The two parts of the island are separated by a buffer zone that stretches for 180 kilometers (112 miles) and is monitored by the United Nations.
A new chapter in this ongoing conflict could open with Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the EU. Brussels wants to see progress with reunification efforts, even if relations between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus are currently on ice. ” For the European Union, a comprehensive, fair and lasting settlement for Cyprus remains an absolute priority,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Cyprus in early January.
Last year, a former European Commissioner was apppointed EU Envoy for Cyprus to mediate between the two sides.
Turkey says two-state solution is most realistic
For Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a two-state solution is most realistic. “The Turks have been very good at ensuring that the current situation remains unchanged,” said Lesser. “A two-state solution would essentially freeze the status quo. But that would not be a good outcome for the future of Cyprus.”
He added that the election results in the northern part of the island, which had brought forth a government more open to negotiations, had given some hope.
At the Ledra Street border crossing in Nicosia, which also divides the city’s main shopping street, locals’ opinions were clear:
“I am in favor of reunification. I want peace,” said Berna from the north. From the south, Christodulos was optimistic: “If we are open in our thinking, we will find a solution. For Cyprus. And for the EU.”
This article was translated from German.
