NIKOS CHRISTODOULIDES, President of Cyprus, recalled that only a few weeks after last year’s General Assembly debate, on 7 October 2023, the world was shocked by the unimaginable, horrendous brutality of the terrorist attack against innocent civilians in the Middle East.  In the immediate aftermath of the attack, and as the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorated, his country acted on its moral responsibility to help the innocent civilians of Gaza.  “As the European Union’s lighthouse in the Eastern Mediterranean, we delivered the Amalthea maritime corridor to the international community:  a lifeline of hope and humanity,” he said.  The humanitarian corridor manifests the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and demonstrates the power of diplomacy.

“The Palestinian children”, he continued, “who have been orphaned, forced to live in tents, with no access to the most basic items of existence — food, shelter, education, safety — are also our children”.  The situation in Gaza is “a desperate cry for us to act decisively”, he said, underling the need for the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and the rapid, safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.  He also urged for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.  Stressing that further escalation and destabilization in the region must be avoided, he sounded the alarm over recent developments in Lebanon.  “A step back must be taken from the brink,” he asserted.

He underscored that the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East can move decisively beyond the prevailing narrative of being a region in turmoil and become a hub of stability, peace and cooperation. “There are no shortcuts, no alternatives or substitutes to a lasting peace,” he stated, adding that “the vacuum created in the absence of a viable peace becomes a breeding ground for crisis and conflict”.

Noting that Cyprus mourns 50 years since the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation of approximately 37 per cent of its territory, he said that the voice of morality cannot have “selective historical amnesia” or “selective sensitivity to violations of international law”.  Similarly, the aggressor — the violator of international law — cannot be the advocate of legality nor point the finger at others. In this context, he urged Türkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:  “Now is the time to deliver on your proclaimed commitment to international law and peace.  No country that believes in the moral superiority of its position refuses to sit on the negotiating table.”