NICOSIA, October 30. /TASS/. Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos held a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in Ramallah to discuss creating a maritime humanitarian corridor to provide aid to the residents of Gaza, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry reported.
According to it, the foreign ministers discussed the need to prevent a further aggravation of the crisis. Furthermore, they emphasized the need for humanitarian aid deliveries. "In this context, Cyprus’ initiative to develop a safe, regulated and sustained maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to Gaza was further elaborated," the Foreign Ministry pointed out. The idea of creating such a corridor was put forward by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. The ministry noted that the meeting also emphasized "the importance of continued humanitarian assistance from the EU."
Kombos reaffirmed Nicosia's commitment to restoring peace to the Middle East on the basis of the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Cyprus was among the countries that abstained during the recent vote on the resolution on the Middle East, prompting some political parties to sharply criticize the government's position. The country's Foreign Ministry has since issued a lengthy written explanation, while the foreign minister went on visits to Amman and Ramallah.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on the Middle East that was drafted by several Arab states and initiated by Jordan on Friday. As many as 120 nations voted for the document, with 14 states voting against, while 45 countries abstained.