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To begin, I will give the floor to the President of the Republic of Cyprus,

Mr. Nikos Christodoulides. Mr. President.

Mr President, members of the press, let me begin by extending our deepest appreciation to the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria for the presence of His Royal Highness,

the Crown Prince of Jordan, as well as the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council,

for joining us today for an important, timely and necessary discussion with the European Union.

Today, we listened, we exchanged and,

most importantly, we focused on solutions.

At a time of heightened tensions across our wider region,

the need for sustained de escalation through diplomacy and dialogue has never been more urgent.

We are experiencing in real time how quickly instability can transcend borders, threatening civilians, disrupting our economies and exposing critical infrastructure to risk, and today,

We send a clear and united message restraint must prevail over escalation,

diplomacy must remain at the forefront, and dialogue is the only path to restoring stability.

We also stress that the European Union is present, the European Union is engaged and working closely with its partners in this part of its neighborhood,

committed to advancing our shared goals of stability, security and prosperity.

This is a core pillar of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

In this context, we expressed solidarity with partners in the Gulf and Jordan,

we commended Egypt's mediation efforts for a ceasefire.

The Gulf countries have proven yet again that, no matter the context, they are reliable partners to Europe,

and let me underline in the clearest terms, their security is also Europe's security.

Cyprus has, and will remain the strongest advocate for the closest cooperation between the European Union and the GCC.

We also commended President Aoun's resilient leadership and reaffirmed our strong support for Lebanon and its sovereignty,

stressing the importance of engagement between Lebanon and Israel,

and we reiterate our commitment to support Syria's inclusive recovery.

Dear friends, the evolving challenges we face are multiple and complex,

and they are not confined within borders.

They affect us all, and at the same time, they connect us.

They require concrete cooperation and, above all, trust,

and today's discussion proved two things a shared understanding of risks and a shared willingness to act.

During our discussion, we identified specific areas where our cooperation can be strengthened, and we agreed on concrete ways to address these challenges,

to address the challenges together as partners for the benefit of our countries,

our Union and our wider region.

Because it is absolutely clear to all of us here, let me repeat that the security and stability of this region is interlinked with that of the euros,

that this is a vital neighborhood and it is the European Union's neighborhood,

and our Union engages in the world in a 360 degree manner.

We have never been and never will be a single issue European Union.

In this context, we also discussed how to take forward our engagement with the Southern Neighbourhood.

The Pact for the Mediterranean presented by the European Commission is a dynamic and greatly important tool,

and its importance is now magnified by the developments in our region.

From the outset,

let me mention that Cyprus has supported the pact as the most serious effort in two decades to reset the European Union's engagement with the Southern Neighbourhood.

The pact is not declaratory in nature, it is operational and it delivers results and benefits,

and that is why we are focusing on implementation through its action plan.

Dear friends, I truly hope that today's meeting will be the beginning of a more consistent, more results oriented dialogue between the European Union and its partners,

a dialogue with clear and shared objectives, a stronger European Union,

hand in hand with a stronger, more stable region and partnerships that deliver.

Cyprus, my country, as the Member State of the European Union in the region, at the crossroads of three continents, will continue to act as a bridge,

a bridge between the European Union and our wider region, a bridge that connects and delivers,

always consistent with our role as an enabler of security and stability.

Because crises and challenges pave a path for opportunity,

and that is the path we are working on today. Thank you very much.

President of the European Council, Mr. António Costa, the floor is yours.