President Sharaa from Nicosia: Mediterranean security is indivisible and Syria is a "bridge of safety"

 President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stressed that the security of the European continent and the Middle East region represents an indivisible geopolitical balance, stressing that the current challenges require working in the spirit of true partnership, this came in a press conference held after the summit of the leaders of the European Union and regional partners hosted in the Cypriot capital Nicosia.

European Responsibility for Israeli Aggression

President Al-Sharia held the European Union accountable for its legal and moral responsibilities towards the repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory, explaining that these attacks are not only aimed at Syrian sovereignty, but also undermine the stability of the region and undermine reconstruction efforts.

President Al-Sharaa said: "The commitment of our European partners to the security and stability of Syria requires a firm stance that obliges Israel to stop its aggression immediately, because protecting the path that has been launched today begins with protecting the land on which it is rising."

Energy Strategic and Security Partnership

In the context of bilateral relations, President Al-Sharaa referred to mutual interests, saying: "Europe needs Syria as much as Syria needs Europe," stressing that the "Euro-Arab-Mediterranean" partnership has become the inevitable path and safe haven to sustain energy flows and ensure the security of global supplies, especially in light of the turmoil that threatens international trade corridors.

 President Al-Shara warned  of the dangers that affect the backbone of global trade, pointing out that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz poses a great danger that calls for the creation of a strategy emanating from the heart of the region to face the challenges that affect the security of societies.

"We are facing a historic entitlement that forces us to formulate our solutions of our own volition," he said.

In addition,  President Al-Sharaa announced the placement of the "Four Seas Initiative and its Nine Corridors" at the disposal of partners in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf, through which Syria represents an alternative and safe artery linking Central Asia and the Gulf to the heart of the European continent.

President Al-Shara stressed: "Syria, which was an arena for the conflicts of others, is choosing today, with the will of its people and its institutions, to be a bridge of safety and a fundamental pillar of the solution. Geography is our destiny, and partnership is our decision."

For his part, the President of the European Council, António Costa, said at the press conference that I was pleased to hold a new meeting with President Ahmed Al-Shara, and that the European Union supports your efforts and acknowledges and appreciates the important steps you have taken to rebuild Syria.

  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU's  aspiration to re-cooperate with Syria.

Al-Shara meets with a number of leaders

 President Al-Sharaa also met with a number of presidents and leaders on the sidelines of his participation in the informal meeting of EU leaders and regional partners in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia.

Among the presidents' meetings were French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

The summit discussed the regional repercussions of the current crisis in the Middle East, and the European Union's initiatives towards the southern neighbor countries and the Mediterranean basin.

President Al-Shara's participation in the summit came at the invitation of Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides and European Council President António Costa, where he delivered a speech in which he stressed the need to strengthen regional stability and intensify international coordination to face common challenges.

Last week, Cyprus Deputy Minister of European Affairs Marlena Rauna announced an invitation to the leaders of Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon to attend the summit, stressing the importance of the Middle East as a "direct neighbour of the European Union" and its security and stability linked to European security.