President Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday told leaders of countries in the region of an “immediate need for de-escalation”, amid a deepening conflict between Iran and Israel.

He had spoken about the region’s developments during telephone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the United Arab Emirates’ President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

During those telephone calls, the presidential palace said, Christodoulides “underlined the importance of a return to diplomacy”, and stressed “the priority the Republic of Cyprus attaches to maintaining stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean”.

In addition, he reiterated the “need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of the hostages, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to the civilian population”.

Related Articles

Going forward, the presidential palace said that Cyprus’ “close diplomatic relations .. with all states in the region, as well as its role as a member state of the European Union” will be “utilised to the fullest extent possible to contribute actively and responsibly towards efforts for de-escalation and for a peaceful resolution to the crises in the region”.

It added that “with longstanding reliable relations with all states of the Eastern Mediterranean and with a firm commitment to the principles of international law, [Cyprus] remains ready to offer all possible diplomatic and humanitarian support”.

“The Republic of Cyprus will continue to take initiatives, build bridges of communication, and function as a factor of stability and security in the wider region, serving the principles of peace and cooperation,” it added.

Earlier, Christodoulides had said that Iran “has asked us to convey a message to Israel”, and that “we will do so”.

“The telephone communications will continue. Let me remind you that we were asked by Iran to convey some messages to Israel, so, today, I will speak with [Netanyahu]. That was scheduled for last night, but due to the chaotic situation, it could not happen,” he said.

He then touched on the matter of the British bases in Cyprus and reiterated the words of the UK’s permanent representative at the United Nations Barbara Woodward on Saturday.

“As far as the British bases are concerned, the British have publicly stated more than once that the British bases have not been used,” he said, before returning to his own role and that of his government in developments.

“The role of the Republic of Cyprus in the region, I want to reiterate, as well as our characteristic, is that we will talk to everyone and to the best of our ability … we try to convey messages, to create the conditions so that this difficult state of affairs can be ended,” he said.

His comments on the British bases come after it was reported that Iran had warned the United Kingdom, the United States and France that their bases and ships in the region will be targeted if they help to stop its missile strikes on Israel.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi had on Saturday called on Cyprus to take what he described as active steps to influence European countries “to help halt the Zionist regime’s crimes” during a telephone call with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos.