ISTANBUL: Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday that French President Emmanuel Macron should not “fantasize” about a Russian threat of war against the West, reacting to comments he made during an official visit to Sweden in late January.
‘From whom Macron is going to protect the members of the EU, especially by using nuclear weapons, this is, of course, a good question…If by potential aggressor we mean our country, then we need to formulate it that way. Then we are talking once again about baseless fantasies on the topic of a mythical Russian threat to the EU and NATO, which exist only in the fevered imaginations of Western politicians,’ Maria Zakharova told Anadolu during a press briefing in Moscow.
Saying that France has so far distanced itself from participating in NATO’s joint nuclear missions despite supporting its rhetoric of being a nuclear alliance, Zakharova said it possesses a ‘special role’ that distinguishes itself from other countries due to being a nuclear power.
She said Macro
n’s rhetoric only leads to a ‘further increase in mistrust and the accumulation of conflict potential’ in Europe, adding that France is ‘confidently moving’ towards its goals if it is seeking to increase tensions in the continent through its policy toward Ukraine.
‘Are they really ready in Paris to take responsibility for those unreasonable European allies who dream of an escalation of the situation in Europe and a war with Russia?’ she added.
Zakharova also addressed recent remarks by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Russia cannot be Yerevan’s key partner in the defense and military-technical spheres, saying the two countries remain allies.
“The interests of the Armenian people are inseparable from good neighborly ties with Russia. We hope that the Armenian leadership will take this into account and, against the backdrop of the current geopolitical transformations, will make the right choice,” she said.
She said Russia and Armenia have a reliable bilateral legal framework in the field of secu
rity and in terms of military-technical cooperation and the two countries have obligations to each other, including with regards to the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.
Zakharova also said Armenia is under collective guarantees within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the event of “possible aggression.”
“We are convinced that, unlike the pseudo-observers of the EU mission (in Armenia), which deal with issues that are far from the stated goals, the CSTO is capable of playing a stabilizing role in the South Caucasus,” she added.
Source: Anadolu Agency
We are inaugurating the new History of the city of Nicosia, said the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, speaking at a ceremony for the renovated building of the former Municipal Hall in Davila bastion, held on Thursday afternoon.
The renovated building will become a cultural space, while it will also host activities of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU in 2026.
President Christodoulides, in his greeting, said that the former Municipal Hall symbolizes the connection point of the modern city with the old Nicosia, as it is a place identified with the History of the city and the country, noting that important people and events in Nicosia played a decisive role in the course of Cyprus’ history.
“Today’s divided Nicosia is nothing more than the symbol of our national problem, the Cyprus problem, and we must do everything possible so that it ceases to be the last divided capital of Europe,” he said.
He noted that the former Municipal Hall is being turned into a cultural center, which is “an excellen
t example of the synthesis of History with modern culture, the old with the new, the preservation of historical memory and its extension into the present and the future through smart, creative, imaginative, quality and pioneering initiatives”.
“I think it is no exaggeration to say that today we are not just inaugurating a renovated administrative building. With it, we are also inaugurating the new History of the city of Nicosia, which will be shaped and developed within the halls and walls of the old City Hall, through what will take place in its interior and exterior spaces” the President said.
The Mayor of Nicosia, Constantinos Yiorkadjis, referred to the history of the building and its use, noting that for more than 70 years it was the seat of the Municipality of Nicosia.
“It was our duty to renovate this building, to keep the memory alive on the one hand, and on the other hand to preserve one of the most emblematic buildings of the capital”, he said, noting that the building will henceforth host munici
pal events as well as activities of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU in 2026.of the Presidency for 2026.
Nicosia remains the last divided capital of Europe, since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied Cyprus’ northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
