EU Parliamant : Cyprus + EU Defense emerge 1st after Strasbourg Islamist Terrorist Attack

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- It's thanks to EU Parliament's President Antonio Tajani's Firm Will to Advance as scheduled on EU Agenda, despite the unexpected and sudden Upheaval provoked by an unprecedented Deadly Islamist Terrorist Attack killing 4 and Wounding about 10 innocent Civilian People cowardly targeted by one or more Gunmen who escaped from the Police, at least for the time being, that Small but Stategic and Symbolic Cyprus' President, Nicos Anastasiades, (long-time member of the Biggest EU Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP), as well as the Timely Debate and Votes on the Creation of a much needed EU Defense Fund, managed to take place, and at the precise Hour on which they had been foreseen !

The European Defense was the 1st Target of that Terrorist Attack, since its Debate had been scheduled for shortly after it started, and its Votes for immediately afterwards, next day, while it also Faced an explicit Call by some MEPs to Stop and Postpone EU Parliaments' work immediately...

But the Chair and Many other MEPs found that, precisely, the Creation of a European Defense was an Important part of the Right Respose to Islamist Terrorism, and, therefore, EU Parliament should go on with its work, as scheduled.

 As for Cyprus' President Anastassiades, he was the Keenote Political Speaker of this Month's EU Parliament's Plenary Session in Strasbourg, on the Future of Europe, and his exchange with MEPs had been scheduled as the Number 1 Item in the Agenda precisely at the Beginning of the Next Day, just After that Deadly Terrorist Attack, which Obliged MEPs, EU Civil Servants and European Journalists to be Deprived of Sleep, overNight, at least until 5 a.m., (See : ...., etc).

A Consequence of that Deadly islamist Terrorist Attack was, thus, inevitably, to Lower the Total Nuùber of MEPs present at the Hemicycle, (since Most of those who had been obliged to face a Sleepless Night, had been naturally pushed towards an Afternoon Only Programme, the Next Day), as also Experienced Cypriot MEP Helen Theocharous, (Head of succe full Center-Right  Political Party "Solidarity"), observed.

But, on the Contrary, all this had, naturally, brought a Better Quality of MEPs present, since only People like, f.ex., President Tajani himself, Commissioner Jyrkui Katainen, or Manfred Weber, from Germany, Head of ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group of MEPs and "Spitzen-Kandidate" for 2019 EU Election, Ska Keller, from Germany too, Head of "Greens" Group of MEPs, Nicolas Bay, from France, Head of ENF Group, (etc).  

 
Significantly, moreover, an initially Scheduled Debate on "BREXIT"'s latest developments was Skiped, for Later on, while, on the Contrary, the emblematic Cyprus' debate remained as it had been foreseen, at the very Beginning of Today Morning...

- "United, we shall Win against Terrorism !", vowed from the outset, President Nicos Anastasiades, urging to protect "Peace and Security" against  "Fear and Terror".     

+Inter alia, Advancing from Soft Power towards Strengthening Europe's Defense, the possibilities exist in order to ameliorate further what was obtained by Lisbon Treaty, he observed, eyeing in particular the forthcoming EU Brussels' Summit of 13-14 December 2018;

This should be done, as always, in a climate of consenus, taking into account the particuliar sensitivities of each Member State, for the necessary Convergence, she pointed out.

- "Cyprus was and still is a warm Supporteur of the incessantly extending Defensive and Military Cooperation between EU Member States"S, President Nico Anastassiades stressed.

+ And it's among those Countries which expressed, from the start, their wish to be enrolled at PECO"; he reminded.

>>> But, even if we Recognize PESCO as a Decisive Step,, nevertheless, "our Dream still remains the EU's Autonomous Military,  the creation of a European Army, firmly stressed Cyprus' President; as far as the Horizon is concerned.

- I.e., "a structure of Hard Power, which will Protect EU's Borders,     and will operate always in order to defend and dissuade, serving Europe's interests", Anastasiades concluded. 

   
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    + Last, but no least, EU must Listen at the Civil Society, and Hear what our Citizens have to say, in order to understand the reasons of abstention, gap and trust crisis, he added, urging no to destroy, but Change the EU for something Better.

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- Cypriot People identified right from the start their own fate, with that of the EU and other EU Citizens, expecting that Accession would play a role of Catalst into providing similar elementary Rights and Freedoms, as for all other EU Citizens, without Dividing Lines, without Foreigners' Claims for unilateral Intervention, presence of Occupation Army, and Restrictions of fundamental liberties", he highlighted, (as far as Turkey'sd claims are : See also ..., etc).

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Finally, Anastasiades pointed at the recently agreed "Permanant Trilateral Staff", Headquarted in Cyprus, for Multilateral Cooperations in South Eastern Mediterranean, with Countries such as Egypt, Israel, Jordany, Lebanoin, Palestine, etc, "Based on International Law, mutual Respect and Guarantees", as a Regional Contribution for an EU which primotes Peace, Stability, Solidarity, Security and Prosperity, including, particularly on Energy Supplies and Transports Diversification.