AKEL on government decision for Cyprus’ accession to PESCO: Cyprus must be a bridge of peace and cooperation among the peoples of the region!
Statement by Yiorgos Loucaides, member of the Political Bureau of AKEL and AKEL-Left-New Forces Parliamentary Representative
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13th November 2017, Nicosia
The decision of the outgoing government for the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the so-called PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Security and Defence), which will be formed by EU member states under the direction of Germany and which refers directly to the creation of an EU-army, raises the following serious questions:
- From where will the increase in defense spending which Cyprus’ participation in PESCO necessitates come from? How much will taxpayers be forced to pay? Or will perhaps health, education and the welfare state become once more the victims of cuts imposed by Anastasiades?
- Has the unanimous and long-standing position of the National Council for the demilitarization of the Republic of Cyprus, with the solution of the Cyprus problem, been abandoned by Mr. Anastasiades?
- How exactly does the participation in PESCO constitute a shield of protection for Cyprus from a possible Turkish provocation, when it is explicitly clarified that all actions within the framework of PESCO will be complementary to NATO, where Turkey has an upgraded role?
- Does the Anastasiades Government realize that when our homeland is transformed into a launching pad for waging military attacks, it itself simultaneously becomes a target as well, creating dangers for our people’s security?
- Against whom will the “Outpost of the West”, which the government via the Foreign Minister stated wants our very own homeland to be transformed into, operate? Will it perhaps be against Russia? Will it be against the Arab world?
- Does Nicos Anastasiades and his party remember that the illusions they have cultivated and are cultivating about NATO, the US and European partners have been dispelled repeatedly to the point that even they themselves now do not dare refer to their position in favour of accession to NATO and its branches?
- One wonders, is it more spending on military armaments and the strengthening of the arms industry what the peoples of Europe need and are demanding from the leadership of the EU?
It is evident that, apart from its ideological choices, the governing DISY party is playing the card of militarism and militarization for pre-election purposes, sometimes with a nationalist touch and other times with an EU-NATO touch.
Our position as AKEL is that Cyprus must be a bridge of peace and cooperation among the peoples of the region, not a military training ground, nor a launching pad for foreign armies.
