Cyprus, as an EU member state, thoroughly recognises its potential and asserts its presence in regional events, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas has said. Addressing a scientific conference titled 'The European Security Architecture in the new geopolitical environment,' Palmas said that a case in point is Cyprus' contribution in international efforts to evacuate and receive non-combatants both from Sudan and Israel, which highlights Cyprus once again as a stable pillar in the management of humanitarian crises in the surrounding region. 'The Republic of Cyprus and the Defence Ministry, in the context of our inalienable right to protect our citizens and the country's defence, we methodically strengthen our operational capacity and our preventive capacity,' Palmas added. He furthermore noted that Cyprus supports the efforts for further EU enlargement, as the accession of new countries in the EU contribute to further stability and limits actions by other actors in the region, marking a significant step towards strengthening security, democracy and cooperation in Europe. The accession of new member-states in the EU, Palmas added, could strengthen its geopolitical footing, promoting the values of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. On the eruption of the conflict in Gaza and the crisis in the Red Sea, Palmas stated that 'the security environment is becoming even more complex,' adding the region has always been a field of conflict with geopolitical and geostrategic shifts. He pointed out that 'one of the basic links in the long chain of crises and conflicts happening in the region for decades is the Cyprus problem and the constant illegal and provocative activities by Turkey on the soil, territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of the Cyprus, which blatantly violate the international law and disrupt stability and peace.' Source: Cyprus News Agency