![](\"https:\/\/www.financialmirror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ursula-von-der-leyen.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who won the European People\u2019s Party support on Thursday to run for a second five-year term, will inspect the facilities at Larnaca port on Friday that are being prepared for the Gaza aid maritime corridor.<\/p>\n
President Nikos Christodoulides will host a private dinner for the EC chief who arrives in Cyprus late Thursday.<\/p>\n
On Friday morning she will be welcomed at the Presidential Palace and at noon, they will visit Larnaca port to inspect the relevant facilities for the operation of the maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, including the dock, the storages and the X-ray mobile scanning machine.<\/p>\n
Christodoulides and von der Leyen will later visit the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Larnaca.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the EC President said she had an \u201cexcellent call with Christodoulides\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Swift action is needed. Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be ensured. We stand by civilians, urging their protection in line with international law.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the EU Commission will support the implementation of Cyprus\u2019 maritime corridor initiative and applauded the Cypriot president\u2019s leadership on this initiative.<\/p>\n
Addressing the 27th EPP congress in Bucharest, Christodoulides said, \u201cthe humanitarian tragedy in Gaza also demands our immediate, urgent attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cCyprus, as an integral part of the region and the closest EU member state in the region, has worked tirelessly since the beginning of the war to design a humanitarian maritime corridor for the delivery of a high volume of aid to the people of Gaza,\u201d he said, thanking the EC chief\u2019s support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look forward to (Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s) visit to Cyprus in the context of opening the maritime corridor. From the very first stages of the initiative, Ursula grasped the vision and value behind it and pulled her political weight and that of the Commission\u2019s behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Nicosia, government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said that there has been increased interest from the beginning from states in the region, from other states, as well as EU member states and the EU institutions in terms of planning for the sea corridor, with the aim of providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is of particular importance is that the recognition of the added value of a sea corridor for unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza is increased, and this proves that we can deliver humanitarian aid as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Republic of Cyprus, recognising our role in the region and with excellent relations with the states of the region, has taken the initiative from the very beginning, presenting a specific plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commenting on statements by Turkey\u2019s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on the issue of the maritime corridor, the spokesman said, \u201cthe maritime corridor is aimed solely at providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza. That\u2019s been our goal from the beginning, a one-way sea corridor for unhindered humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza in a big, huge humanitarian crisis that is unfolding. That is the sole and exclusive aim of this initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has the support of the European People\u2019s Party for a second term, will inspect Larnaca port facilities prepared for the Gaza aid maritime corridor. She will be hosted by President Nikos Christodoulides in Cyprus, where they will visit the port to inspect facilities for the humanitarian corridor to Gaza, including the dock, storages, and an X-ray mobile scanning machine. They will also visit the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca. Von der Leyen discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Christodoulides, emphasizing the need for swift action and humanitarian aid access. The EU Commission supports Cyprus’ maritime corridor initiative, recognizing its value in delivering aid to Gaza. Cyprus has designed this corridor to deliver high volumes of aid to Gaza, with increased interest from regional states, EU member states, and institutions. The initiative aims solely at providing humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilian population, amidst a significant humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3574,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[122,1031,3,1090,379,1094,1091,145,88,1096,415,399,351,964,1095,899,187,157,1092,712,406,193,864,503,389,177,1093,293],"class_list":["post-3573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyprus","tag-aid","tag-christodoulides","tag-cyprus","tag-ec-president","tag-eu","tag-european-commission-president","tag-european-peoples-party-epp","tag-gaza","tag-gaza-aid","tag-gaza-aid-maritime-corridor","tag-government","tag-humanitarian-aid","tag-humanitarian-corridor","tag-humanitarian-crisis","tag-inspection-of-facilities","tag-interest","tag-international","tag-larnaca","tag-larnaca-port","tag-maritime","tag-nicosia","tag-nikos-christodoulides","tag-population","tag-president-nikos-christodoulides","tag-rescue","tag-turkey","tag-ursula-von-der-leyen","tag-war"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n