President Klaus Iohannis told the European Council on Thursday that the EU „must remain firmly positioned to contribute to an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon”.

„Referring to the complicated geopolitical context in the Middle East, the president of Romania said that the European Union must remain firmly positioned to contribute to an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon, in support of the mediation efforts of the US and Arab partners. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated Israel’s right to security and self-defence, as well as the need for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on a two-state solution, noting the importance of support for the Palestinian Authority or respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” the Presidential Administration said in a press release.

According to the cited source, in this context, the head of state recalled the humanitarian support offered by Romania to the population in Gaza and Lebanon, including by taking Palestinian children from Gaza to be treated in our country.

The main topics on the European Council’s agenda were the situation in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, the European Union’s competitiveness and migration management.

The leaders’ agenda included discussions on the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, support for the multilateral system and the rules-based international order, high energy prices and other themes related to the EU’s external relations.

As regards the situation in the Middle East, the European Council expressed its concern at the escalation of the security situation in the region and called on all parties involved to show restraint and to cease all hostilities immediately.

At the same time, the Council strongly condemned the Iranian attacks on Israel and the destabilizing activity in the region by terrorist and armed groups. In this context, Israel’s right to self-defence was reiterated, while emphasizing that international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties and the escalation of attacks and retaliation must be stopped.

The European leaders also expressed deep concern about the military escalation of the situation in Lebanon and called for an immediate ceasefire along the Blue Line and the full and symmetrical implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The European Council reaffirmed its support for the stabilizing role played by the UN Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). At the same time, it insisted that rocket attacks by Hezbollah must stop.

In view of the one-year anniversary of the dramatic events of October 7, 2023, the European Council condemned in strong terms the attack on Israel and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and hostages of Hamas. At the same time, leaders called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the improvement of access and distribution of humanitarian assistance in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735. They also reiterated their commitment to the two-state solution.

The security situation in the Red Sea area were also addressed at the meeting and an appeal to the Houthi movement was launched to immediately cease all attacks that disrupt maritime security in the region.

AGERPRES