European Union calls for permanent cessation in Lebanon and welcomes start of agreement with Iran

In particular, the leaders made it clear that they maintain the commitment to provide emergency assistance to nearly one million displaced people, in addition to the 100 million euros in humanitarian aid mobilized following the outbreak of hostilities and humanitarian airlift operations coordinated with regional partners.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described this Friday the provisional agreement between United States and Iran of “turning point and an important opportunity” to guarantee freedom of navigation, “without tolls”, in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to ensure that Iran “never has nuclear weapons” and address concerns about its ballistic program and its regional activities.

Von der Leyen said at a press conference at the end of the meeting that the crisis has highlighted “an important lesson”: “We must not allow the global economy to be taken hostage,” and advocated developing “other routes and corridors,” citing as an example the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC).

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said in statements to the press that Europeans are “ready to contribute” through a multilateral mission that could be deployed “when conditions allow” and at the request of the parties involved, and stressed that it is an “availability” offered by the EU so that Iran can “exist peacefully” with the region.

For his part, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, celebrated “the beginning of the end of a conflict that should never have occurred”, whose “bill” he described as “devastating”: more than 7,000 dead, including American soldiers and more than four million displaced, according to their data.

In their conclusions, the Twenty-Seven stressed that “Iran must never be able to acquire nuclear weapons” and urged Tehran to “resume full cooperation” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to end its ballistic missile program, also calling for the cessation of “violence and repression” against its population.

The leaders expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank, particularly the humanitarian crisis in the former, and urged Israel to allow immediate and unhindered access and the distribution of assistance to large stopover in Gaza and throughout the area and to reopen border crossings.

“We must not forget the dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza nor the deterioration of conditions in West Bank. I welcome the Commission’s intention to present options before the next meeting of foreign ministers,” said Costa.

In the approved conclusions, the leaders of the EU condemned the mistreatment of detainees including European citizens, following the interception of the Sumud Global Flotilla in international waters and “the conduct of extremist ministers who incite and promote human rights violations.”