Cyprus: Small and divided but with grand plans for the EU

"Ship positions, weather data and emergency messages flash across monitors at the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center in the port town of Larnaca in southeastern Cyprus. This is where Cyprus coordinates search and rescue operations in the eastern Mediterranean. It is also where the logistics of running a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza are organized. Some 32,000 tons of humanitarian relief supplies aid from the European Union have been inspected in Cyprus' ports and shipped on to Gaza."

""The flight from here to Lebanon takes 18 minutes, to Tel Aviv 30 minutes, to Jordan 75 minutes, to Damascus 20 minutes, and to Egypt 50 minutes," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told journalists at the start of the Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the EU, which began January 1. "As a member state of the European Union, we are also part of the wider Middle East. And I consider this to be a great advantage.""

"It is now up to Cyprus, one of the EU's smallest members, to coordinate the Council's work, chair meetings, and ensure that legislative procedures run smoothly. "Cyprus is well positioned to play an active role in Mediterranean diplomacy. It is directly involved in key issues such as energy development, energy security, counterterrorism, migration and maritime security," said Ian Lesser from the transatlntic-focused think tank, the German Marshall Fund, or GMF, adding that the country was considered a trustworthy partner."

Ship positions, weather data and emergency messages are monitored at the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, which coordinates search and rescue in the eastern Mediterranean and organizes a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. About 32,000 tons of EU humanitarian relief have been inspected in Cypriot ports and shipped to Gaza. Cyprus sits at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, with short flights to Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Cyprus began its six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1 and will coordinate the Council's work. The government intends to use the presidency to expand Cyprus's international role. Cyprus is involved in energy, security, counterterrorism, migration and maritime affairs and is regarded as a trustworthy partner.

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