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European Union (EU) leaders, meeting in Cyprus alongside counterparts from Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have pledged to deepen security and economic ties with Middle East partners.
The summit in Nicosia focused on the devastating global impact of the ongoing war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
European Council President Antonio Costa emphasised that Europe’s security is now inextricably linked to the Middle East, calling for an immediate and unrestricted reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise global oil and jet fuel supplies.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has extended a temporary ceasefire with Iran, EU officials characterised current diplomatic efforts as insufficient.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pointedly remarked that a “temporary pause is not enough,” particularly as Lebanon remains in a state of crisis.
In contrast to the U.S. administration’s stance that they have “all the time in the world” to resolve the conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron argued that Europe must take a more active role in restoring global economic and regional stability immediately.
To address these challenges, the EU is considering a significant expansion of its regional footprint, including broadening its partnership with Arab nations into defence matters.
Von der Leyen proposed scaling up joint defence production and evolving the EU’s naval presence, such as Operation Aspides, from a protection mission into a more sophisticated maritime coordination effort.
These initiatives aim to counter the shared threat of drone and missile proliferation while fostering a permanent diplomatic settlement to the regional hostilities.
