Speech by D. Avramopoulos at The Economist’s 21st Annual Cyprus Summit, 3/11/2025

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Middle East once again stands at a critical crossroads.

A few years ago, the Abraham Accords created a new expectation: that dialogue, coexistence, and cooperation can replace mistrust and violence. They were a bold step—a diplomatic breakthrough that opened pathways for cooperation in energy, trade, and innovation.

Yet two years of war in Gaza remind us daily that no agreement endures if it sidelines the essence of the conflict.

The promise of the Abraham Accords must now be reconnected to justice, security, and human dignity. Otherwise, the window of opportunity they opened will close.

The war in Gaza, for its part, has shattered communities and eroded trust in diplomacy. The vast humanitarian tragedy we have witnessed must not become another chapter of despair, but the beginning of a new course. In this context, the 20-point peace plan recently presented by President Trump seeks to give new structure to the stabilization process.

But for any peace to be genuine, it must rest on three fundamental principles:

First, legality: respect for international law and United Nations resolutions.

Second, inclusivity: Israelis and Palestinians at the same table, on equal terms.

And third, sustainability: clear mechanisms for implementation and regional support.

Without these, even the most ambitious plan will remain a fine diplomatic framework without political depth.

At the same time, the United States retains a key role, but peace cannot be imposed from the outside. Regional cooperation is needed so that Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states are part of the solution.

And Europe? It cannot remain a bystander. It must remain a moral compass and strategic partner, turning ceasefires into sustainable political arrangements.

Peace in the Middle East is not a favor to one side, but an investment in our collective security. What the region needs today is not yet another piecemeal agreement, but a comprehensive regional architecture—a new Mediterranean–Middle East Pact: a framework that combines security guarantees with economic cooperation and cultural dialogue. A framework that links the spirit of the Abraham Accords to the broader Mediterranean vision of peaceful coexistence.

Diplomacy can open paths. But only political courage and human empathy can turn them into real peace. And the Middle East does not need yet another ceasefire, but a new era of cooperation and trust.

That is the true message of the Abraham Accords—and it remains within reach even today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our second theme concerns the Eastern Mediterranean and the role of a united Cyprus—an Eastern Mediterranean that is no longer a periphery, but a strategic hub where Europe, the Middle East, and Africa meet.

The question, therefore, is not whether it matters, but how it will leverage that importance: as a field of confrontation—or as a platform for cooperation?

At the heart of this equation lies Cyprus. Its reunification is not only an issue between two communities, but a European and Mediterranean strategic necessity. Because a united, sovereign, and independent Cyprus would bolster Europe’s credibility, consolidate regional stability, and serve as a bridge to the Middle East. Cyprus can thus become a microcosm of Europe itself—a living proof that diversity can coexist within unity.

For fifty years, it has remained a frozen division on the map of Europe. In this context, turning it into a model of reconciliation would send a message of hope across the region—offering a solution that could open the way to confidence-building measures between Greece and Turkey, to maritime cooperation based on the International Law of the Sea, and to joint development and environmental protection.

Energy, after all—once a source of tension—can now become a lever for peace and prosperity, provided we see it as a shared opportunity rather than another arena of competition.

For its part, Europe must reassert its presence in the Mediterranean not merely as an observer, but as an architect of stability. The Eastern Mediterranean is its southern frontier, and what happens here shapes its future.

For that reason, I have proposed the creation of a Conference on Mediterranean Dialogue and Cooperation—an initiative aimed at bringing all coastal states around the same table, on the basis of respect for sovereignty, the non-use of force, and shared development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Cyprus embodies both the challenge and the promise of the Eastern Mediterranean. On the one hand, a divided island reminding us of the price of fragmentation; on the other, a united island reminding us of the power of vision and reconciliation.

Accordingly, resolving the Cyprus question will not merely correct a historical injustice; it will inspire an entirely new narrative for the whole Mediterranean: that even in times of fragmentation such as today’s, unity through law and dialogue remains attainable.

Cyprus—united and forward-looking—can become the key to a new Mediterranean architecture: a bridge between continents, peoples, and cultures.

And that, dear friends, is a vision worth serving.