Sunday

10th Dec 2023

Cypriot MPs call to lift Russia sanctions

  • Cyprus has close cultural ties with Russia and is home to many Russian firms (Photo: Cypriot Parliament)

The Cypriot parliament on Thursday (7 July) adopted a resolution calling for an end to EU sanctions against Russia.

The resolution, which was adopted by 33 of the assembly's 56 MPs, was tabled by the communist AKEL party, which was in power from 2008 to 2013.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

It asked the government to work in the European Council to end the sanctions adopted in 2014 against Russia after the annexation of Crimea and the downing of a civilian airplane in eastern Ukraine.

The EU imposes sanctions by unanimous decisions, meaning that Cyprus could, in theory, veto the next renewal of Russia measures, due in January.

Sanctions are "counterproductive and in no way helped to resolve the crisis in Ukraine," the new Cypriot resolution said.


It added that they "have negatively affected trade and economic relations between Cyprus and Russia during a period of continuing economic crisis" and called for the lifting of Russia's counter-ban on Cypriot and other EU food exports.

The resolution also called on all parties involved in the war in eastern Ukraine to implement the Minsk peace agreement. The fulfilment of the peace treaty is the EU's official condition for lifting the Russia measures.

Cyprus has close cultural ties with Russia and is home to many Russian firms.

Its government has been critical of EU sanctions on Russia, with president Nikos Anastasiades saying last year that they "will not solve the problem [and] will only create wider problems for the whole European Union."

But Cyprus has not opposed sanction roll-overs, most recently last week when the EU extended the economic measures until December.

The 17 MPs from Anastasiades's DISY party also abstained during the vote on the resolution.

The Cypriot vote follows a vote by both chambers of the French parliament to partially lift sanctions. Several EU countries have also voiced criticism of the EU's Russia policy.


Last week, Slovakia's foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak said that the EU needed to change its "ideological' policy and indicated that sanctions did not work.

Analysis

Tense EU-China summit showdown unlikely to bear fruit

EU leaders will meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing for the first face-to-face summit since 2019. Their agenda includes trade imbalances, economic security, Ukraine and human rights — what can be expected by the end of 48 hours of talks?

Afghanistan is a 'forever emergency,' says UN head

Afghanistan is a "forever emergency" rendered worse by an isolated country intent on dismantling human rights, says UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative for the country, Leonard Zulu.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us