The situation in the Middle East will be, among other issues, on the agenda of the MED9 Summit hosted in the coastal town of Paphos on Friday, with the government underlining the fact that Cyprus has a role to play as a pillar of stability and security in a volatile region. Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis highlighted on Thursday the importance of Cyprus organizing the summit on the island, noting that the country is part of the solution to the region's challenges and this is recognized internationally. In statements to the media, Letymbiotis said that Cyprus is hosting the MED9 Summit "at a critical moment for the wider region and aims to contribute to the efforts made to de-escalate the crisis, but also to the more active and substantial involvement of the European Union in the area." Letymbiotis emphasized that Cyprus "demonstrated from the first moment its stabilizing role and its important humanitarian contribution, making the most of its excellent diplomatic relations with all the st ates of the region, as well as its status as an EU member state." He referred to the Amalthea project for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, which was the result of close cooperation with regional, European partners and institutions. The Spokesperson also noted that Cyprus activated the Estia evacuation plan via which more than 2,400 citizens from more than 20 countries have arrived to Cyprus to date from Lebanon, the majority of whom have already departed for their final destination. He mentioned that the requests the authorities examine are from countries that had already submitted a request for assistance, adding that there are some further requests and possibly during the day there will be some more arrivals from citizens of a state, who evacuated its citizens through Cyprus the previous days as well. In his statements, the Spokesperson said that the leaders of Cyprus, France, Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Slovenia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal and the President of the European Commission will attend the MED9 Summit as well as the King of Jordan, accepting an invitation addressed to him by the Cyprus President. He said that his participation is particularly important, especially at this moment, as Jordan together with Cyprus and other states in the region are pillars of security and stability. The summit will begin with a discussion about EU-Jordan relations and cooperation. The joint Cyprus-Jordan initiative for the creation of a regional forest fire-fighting center, with a permanent presence of aircraft based in Cyprus, is expected to be discussed as well. A working session on the Middle East will follow, and in its context, the King of Jordan will present the latest developments in the region. The discussion is expected to focus on the need to de-escalate the crisis, especially after its spillover in Lebanon, on the need to take further initiatives to protect civilians and support the Lebanese, as well as on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2735. President Christodoulides will inform the leaders about the ongoing implementation of the Estia plan. After the conclusion of the session and the departure of the King and the Crown Prince of Jordan, the second session on Mediterranean priorities will be held. Cyprus President will refer to the migration crisis and will make reference to the importance of a balanced approach, with the Asylum migration pact and the immigration's external dimension. He will also refer to climate change and the reactivation of the Cypriot initiative for the Eastern Mediterranean and to the issue of competitiveness, which will be the dominant theme in the European Union in the coming months, with discussion both at the European Council in October and at the informal European Council in November. The Spokesperson said that the President will highlight the importance of significant investments and the reduction of dependencies, with the aim of making the European Union more competitive, as well as the need to strengthen the European defen se industry, in order to achieve more strategic autonomy. He said that the session would conclude with the joint declaration and a press conference by all the leaders, at 6 pm local time. On the sidelines of the summit, President Christodoulides will hold bilateral meetings with the King and Crown Prince of Jordan, as well as with his European counterparts. Moreover, CNA has learned that President Christodoulides will have on Saturday bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Slovenia and the Prime Minister of Croatia. Replying to a question, Letymbiotis said that the President will also inform the President of the Commission about the developments in the Cyprus issue, in view of the New York tripartite dinner which he will attend on October 15th along with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar. He also said that the issue of EU-Turkey relations is a decisive factor and one of the decisive parameters that the Cyprus government put forward. He added that the EC President acknowledged this effort and the President of the Republic will inform both her and the European leaders about the tripartite meeting. He also said that before travelling to New York, the President will be in the UK for a meeting with the British Prime Minister. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. Source: Cyprus News Agency