Meeting in Nicosia on Friday 24 April, European leaders met with a number of leaders from the Middle Eastern region over an informal lunch to call on the international players involved in both the wars in Iran and Lebanon to do everything possible to move towards peace and allow the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened.
The meeting, attended by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein and Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), was also intended to consolidate the political, economic and military ties between the two neighbours and announce new partnerships.
At a joint press briefing, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reaffirmed the EU’s “absolute solidarity” with the countries in the region, called once again for Lebanon’s territorial integrity to be respected, and praised the “leadership of Jordan and Egypt in the search for diplomatic solutions”. Welcoming the ceasefires announced in Iran and Lebanon, the President of the Commission reiterated that any peace agreement with Iran would have to deal with Tehran’s “nuclear and ballistic programme”.
Welcoming the “increasingly strong” links with these neighbouring countries, she recalled the investment programmes already launched with Jordan and Egypt.
President Joseph Aoun stressed the need to create “new (economic) opportunities” for investment and trade in his country, at a time when the country and its socio-economic fabric are being severely impacted by the war.
As far as Syria is concerned, “we will continue to support reconstruction” and the population, said Ursula von der Leyen, alongside Ahmed al-Sharaa, who also promised to rebuild the country, denounced the aggression carried out by Israel on “our land” and called for a return to the 1974 UN resolution.
While the Commission recently proposed to resume the cooperation agreement between the EU and Syria, the President of the Commission also mentioned the summit to be held at the end of 2026 between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It will be an opportunity to launch strengthened partnerships, looking at diversification of transport routes to move away from Hormuz.
This will include the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe) corridor, designed to link India, the Middle East and Europe via railways, shipping lines, oil pipelines and high-speed cables.
The ASPIDES mission in the Red Sea will also have to become a “genuine maritime coordination” mission and not just a protection mission, she said.
The ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’ is one of the “most important” initiatives “to relaunch our relations with our neighbours”, commented Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides, hoping that this informal meeting in Nicosia “will be the launch of a more consistent long-term dialogue, with partners working hand in hand for a stronger and more stable region”.
The ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’ (see EUROPE 13851/1) proposes, among other things, actions on innovation or education networks or the creation and development of innovation and research centres throughout the Mediterranean region.
Although the idea of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council and the President of the European Council, António Costa, was initially to invite the 10 countries associated with the ‘Pact for the Mediterranean’ (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia), the context of the war in Iran and Israel’s new military intervention in Lebanon have changed the situation. Türkiye, a major Mediterranean player, was not invited either, against a backdrop of persistent tensions with Greece and Israel.
Discussions on the post-UNIFIL era. In any case, the meeting was an opportunity to look more specifically at the situation in Lebanon. “As we have done with Egypt and Jordan, we must begin discussions with Lebanon in order to reach a strategic and comprehensive agreement”, commented President Christodoulides that very morning.
While US President, Donald Trump, announced on 23 April the extension of the ceasefire in the country, “it is clear that the Lebanon armed forces need more help to disarm Hezbollah and to have control over the country”, said the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on arrival at the meeting.
“We know the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) mission is ending. We're discussing whether we are able to put our own mission together once UNIFIL ends, but not with the same mandate to really address the problems they have”, she said.
In May, high-level discussions will also be held on the reconstruction of institutions, security and respect for minorities, particularly Christian minorities.
“UNIFIL’s mandate expires at the end of this year, but I believe that an international presence on the border between Lebanon and Israel remains necessary and fundamental, and this is precisely what we are discussing with our partners”, Italian leader, Giorgia Meloni, also commented earlier in the day.
Conference on Lebanon. French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced a forthcoming support conference for Lebanon. Europe must “commit itself even more” to supporting Lebanon, he said on arriving at the meeting in Nicosia. This support conference will have to “draw on all European contributions” and improve coordination with neighbouring countries such as Syria and Jordan, which are also affected by the regional situation.
“This country needs more support, not only humanitarian support, but also to consolidate its government in order to defeat Hezbollah and, in the long term, establish a lasting peace”, reacted the Dutch leader, Rob Jetten.
Hormuz. Several leaders also confirmed in Nicosia their desire to join the Franco-British initiative launched on 17 April with around 50 international partners.
“Many EU countries, like the Netherlands, want to help reopen the Strait and make shipping safer. We can only achieve this in collaboration with the Gulf countries, which will be hardest hit by the closure. We are discussing this with France, the United Kingdom and around 50 other countries around the world”, explained the Dutch leader.
Sanctions. The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also confirmed his country’s participation in this international mission, if the Bundestag gives it a mandate. And “if a comprehensive agreement is to be reached, we are also prepared to gradually ease sanctions, but we are not there yet, because we need to achieve three objectives”: a clear commitment from Iran to restore freedom of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, to put an end to its nuclear programme and to cease all threats against Israel, he said as he left the meeting. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with Mathieu Bion)