On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron called for sanctions over “those who interfere in Libya” and “violators of the maritime field in the eastern Mediterranean”. He stressed the need for a ceasefire and a political solution in Libya.
“In this part of the Mediterranean, which is vital for our countries, energy and security issues are essential. What’s at stake is a power struggle in particular, of which Turkey and Russia are asserting themselves more and more. The EU is still doing too little,” Macron told reporters alongside his Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades.
“It would be a serious mistake to leave our security in the Mediterranean in the hands of other actors. This is not an option for Europe, and it is not something that France will let happen”, he added.
Macron called also for a summit in France bringing together Mediterranean EU member states, ‘Euro Med 7’. This would be held at the end of August to discuss the latest developments in the region. The seven countries in the summit are France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus.