The Cyprus presidency will postpone or move to virtual format all EU meetings scheduled to take place on the island in March due to the ongoing Middle East crisis, two Cypriot officials told POLITICO.
All the European Union meetings scheduled to take place at the ministerial level will be rescheduled to a later date, while conferences and meetings at the level of technocrats will be conducted via teleconference, according to the officials.
“Due to developments in the region there were difficulties or cancellations with the flights not only to Cyprus, but also to other countries in the region, so we had to be flexible,” one of the Cypriot officials said.
The third-smallest country in the EU assumed the presidency of the Council of the EU in January. It is the second time Cyprus has held the presidency since joining the bloc in 2004.
The unfolding crisis has already forced the island nation to postpone the European affairs ministers meeting on March 2-3 and the culture ministers meeting on March 5-6.
Among other meetings included on the calendar for March are a defense ministers gathering on March 11-12, a telecommunications meeting on March 23-24, the Ecofin on March 27-28, and a Research and Competitiveness Council on March 30-31.
An informal European Council meetings with all EU leaders is scheduled to be held in Cyprus on April 23-24 and so far has not been postponed. The Cypriot presidency was aspiring to invite leaders from the countries in the broader region for discussions on the Middle East.
So far, Greece, France and Spain have sent warships and fighter jets to Cyprus after Iranian drones targeted British bases on the island earlier this week.
All March EU meetings in Cyprus rescheduled or made virtual
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