AP Exclusive: Cyprus president says EU needs a clear playbook on helping members under attack

Key Points:

• Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides urged EU leaders to develop a clear operational plan for invoking Article 42.7, which obliges member states to assist each other if one is under armed attack, as the article has never been activated before.
• Christodoulides highlighted the need to clarify how EU and NATO obligations would interact, especially for countries that are members of both organizations, to avoid conflicting responses under Article 42.7 and NATO’s Article 5.
• Cyprus, under its EU presidency, is prioritizing closer ties with the Middle East, promoting initiatives like the Mediterranean Pact and hosting an EU-Middle East summit with leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan to enhance strategic cooperation.
• The president supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to boost trade, energy, and digital connectivity, advocating for more concrete projects and collaboration with the US to strengthen the initiative.
• Christodoulides emphasized the EU’s urgent need to diversify energy sources amid the Iran war, discussing Cyprus’ offshore natural gas potential and anticipating new EU proposals on energy independence and cost reduction.