Two amendments of the Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Cypriot MP Irene Charalambides were adopted on Monday at the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security of the Assembly, with regard to the Cypriot initiative for Gaza and the threats against the security of OSCE states due to the crisis in the Middle East. According to a press release by the House of Representatives, in her first amendment the OSCE welcomes the "Amalthea" initiative of Cyprus, which opens a maritime corridor for the provision of emergency humanitarian aid to Gaza, from Larnaca to Gaza, with the support of a number of countries and the European Commission in cooperation with the UN. Charalambides said that more support is needed to the international efforts to relieve the dire humanitarian situation of Palestinian civilians. She expressed appreciation for US assistance in building the floating jetty used by ships to unload humanitarian aid, a nd to all other countries for their contributions. Regarding her second amendment, Charalambidou refers to the increased threats to the security and economy of the participating states in the OSCE due to the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, the attacks of the Houthi as well as other challenges, including increased migration flows. It is also stressed that the Mediterranean dimension must be further strengthened in the work of the OSCE. Meanwhile, in her intervention at the Political Affairs and Security Committee, Charalambidou stressed that Cyprus is affected by the developments noting that a possible Israeli invasion of Lebanon would destabilise Lebanon and lead to its collapse, widen the conflict by involving other states and enhance regional destabilisation, thereby affecting the whole of Europe. Source: Cyprus News Agency
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