Ruptly
"Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides called for increased cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, claiming 'permanent de-escalation' cannot be achieved in the region without the EU. "It was clear from last night's discussion that we need to do much more to enhance our cooperation with the countries of the region, to elevate our cooperation in a strategic manner," Christodoulides said. "They trust the European Union. They want to work for us in order to achieve permanent de-escalation. As I mentioned last night, it is not possible to achieve de-escalation in the region without the active participation of the European Union," he continued. The President confirmed that the European Union will table a series of proposals during today's dialogue in Nicosia. The session brings together EU heads of state alongside leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as the Secretary-General of the GCC, to coordinate on regional security and economic stability. Tensions escalated in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with strikes on Israeli territory and US interests in the region, with interceptions reported in several Gulf countries. On April 8, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire following five and a half weeks of fighting - and a global energy crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce. Talks were held in Islamabad on April 11-12 with no breakthrough. The second round of talks this week in Islamabad did not materialise. Earlier, Trump said he was sending a delegation - and that he didn't want to extend the ceasefire - while Tehran did not confirm participation."
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