The urgent need to de-escalate and create a political horizon to achieve a two-state solution was emphasized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, referring to the discussion he will have with his counterparts on the situation in the Middle East, in the context of the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the EU which takes place on Monday in Luxembourg.
Mr. Kombos also noted, in view of the discussion on Armenia and Azerbaijan, the need for EU-Azerbaijan relations to be under active and continuous monitoring.
The agenda of the meeting also includes the discussion of the EU's commitments towards Ukraine on security matters, while after the conclusion of the work of the session, the EU Foreign Ministers will have a ministerial meeting with their counterparts from the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
Upon his arrival at the meeting, Mr. Kombos referred to the discussions between the Foreign Ministers on the situation in Armenia and the Middle East.
In relation to the situation in the Middle East, he reiterated that "we unreservedly and unequivocally condemn the terrorist attacks of Hamas" and emphasized that "terrorism has absolutely no justification".
"We recognize Israel's right to self-defense, within the limits of international law and international humanitarian law, and that includes the protection of civilians," he added.
"We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid to the people in the region. At the same time, there is an urgent need for de-escalation. We must work towards creating the political horizon that will lead to a two-state solution. In the fog of war, we must look for the light," he stressed.
Regarding Armenia, he stated that "the Union's commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states should be translated into concrete and tangible support for Armenia and its people. That is, political, financial and humanitarian support".
"At the same time, our relationship with Azerbaijan must remain under active and continuous review" he underlined.
Source: KYPE