French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that it was in everyone’s interest to restore stability to the Middle East as the war between Iran and Israel shakes the global economy. According to him, Europe must do more. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- Emmanuel Macron claims that the global economy is destabilized by the war in the Middle East.
- European leaders met at an informal meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus.
- EU representatives will have a joint lunch with the leaders of several Middle Eastern countries.
- Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran as well as Israel and Lebanon.
Lunch with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria
“It is in everyone’s interest that stability returns as soon as possible and that world economies calm down,” he declared before arriving at the second day of the informal European Council meeting in Nicosia.
The representatives of the EU countries will later have lunch with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and with the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States in the Persian Gulf (GCC), Jasim Muhammad al-Budajwi.
According to Macron, the mentioned lunch will be an opportunity for coordination with Syria, Jordan and others. “They are influenced by the situation in the region,” he said.
Strengthening cooperation with the countries of the Middle East
Cypriot President Nikos Christodulidis says it was clear after EU leaders’ talks in Agia Napa, Cyprus on Thursday that “more needs to be done to strengthen our cooperation with countries in the region”.
According to the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, at the dinner in the Cypriot resort, they discussed the security implications of the conflicts in the Middle East, while, according to her, these wars affect the entire region and Europe.
Extension of the ceasefire
AFP notes that the effort by European leaders comes as US President Donald Trump this week announced the extension of a cease-fire between the United States and Iran, as well as a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon.
The main problem for Europe is the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of which by Iran after the start of the war caused an increase in energy prices and limited aviation fuel supplies in Europe.
The French and British defense ministers hosted a series of meetings attended by several EU officials to plan how to secure the Strait of Hormuz after a lasting ceasefire between the US and Iran.
