President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has expressed his great concern over the possibility of the expansion of the current crisis in the wider region, saying that during the European Council meeting later in the day, he will convey messages from leaders of the region.

Speaking to reporters after the "Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit" conference in Nicosia, President Christodoulides said that ahead of the European Council that will convene in the afternoon, he held a long telephone conversation with the President of Egypt, who, as he said, knows very well the problem in the region.

There are many issues that need to be solved, firstly addressing the current crisis and secondly avoid its expansion in the wider region, the President said, expressing his concern.

He added that the President of Egypt asked him to convey some messages to the European leaders at the European Council's conference earlier in the day, adding that he would speak again with the King of Jordan, "another country that has a determining role" in these matters.

He stated that he conveyed to the President of Egypt some messages from the Israeli Prime Minister and noted that we are at a critical junction, regarding the way to deal  with this crisis but also how to prevent it from spreading in the wider region, a development that "would be very negative for all of us."

Replying to questions, the Cypriot President said that the European Union has very much delayed to convene a European Council on the crisis.

The European Council will convene today after so many days have passed, he said, noting that during the "previous days and before it was announced we had contacted the European Union asking for an extraordinary meeting of the European Council."

He noted that it is a very serious issue, adding that Cyprus, as the closest member state of the European Union, is particularly concerned.

President Christodoulides said that there were indeed statements from European Commission officials that were conflicting, noting that "we have to be very careful if we, the European Union, want to play a geopolitical role."

"I don't see that at this moment the European Union being a protagonist in an attempt to de-escalate the situation," he said.

He stated that during the European Council meeting, specific messages from the Republic of Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and Israel will be conveyed and expressed hope that there would be a specific outcome. 

President Christodoulides said that Cyprus maintains excellent relations with all neighboring states adding that Nicosia can do everything possible. 

"I don't want to overestimate our capabilities in such a serious crisis" he said and added that the US plays an important role, but everything possible should be done so that this crisis between Israel and Hamas can be addressed and at the same time not expand in the region.

"There is a risk, so we should be very cautious" he underlined.

Asked whether Cyprus is preparing to receive large numbers of refugees, President Christodoulides referred to Cyprus' role as regards evacuations in the region and said that until today there have been requests from 26 states to make use of Cyprus' assistance. 

Moreover, he referred to the ESTIA national plan that is already in operation. "We will meet our obligations due to our proximity to the region", he stressed.

He underlined that Cyprus cannot accept more refugee flows, adding that he will convey this message during the European Council meeting later in the day.

"Of course if the need arises we will look at the situation with the European Union and it was an issue I discussed with the Egyptian President, who is concerned about Egypt. It is a country with 7 million immigrants and indeed a model country. We don't see anyone leaving Egypt," he said.

Asked about security measures, he said that he is in constant contact with the Chief of Police. Referring to the demonstrations taking place, he said that people have the right to do so since Cyprus is a democratic country.

But he noted that events that will attempt to promote hatred cannot be accepted, saying however that no such events have taken place.

The President said that he has been informed about two more demonstrations that will take place in the next few days, noting that special attention is needed.

Cyprus, he said, is a country that hosts both Israelis and Palestinians and people from all the countries of the region, saying that "we are a model democratic country and nothing should be done that will have negative consequences."

Asked if after the understanding reached in Pyla, the status of the buffer zone has been restored, the President of the Republic said that we returned to the status quo ante, before the illegal actions of the Turkish army led to the incidents with the UN peacekeepers.

He described the understanding reached as important noting that the effort began after an initiative of the Republic of Cyprus, so as to prevent the violation of the status of the buffer zone and not to create circumstances, which would give any military or other advantages to the occupation troops.

Noting that they will follow the implementation of all that has been agreed, he said that he considers the development of the area essential, saying that it can function as a model.

"I'm glad about the reports, I've been briefed this morning on what was conveyed to the Security Council yesterday, not only by Mr. Stewart but also by Permanent and Non-Permanent Members of the UN SC, and I'm glad that everyone feels that we need to focus on the big picture which is the resumption of talks," he stressed.

Asked about the appointment of a UN Secretary-General envoy, the President of the Republic said that recent press reports on the matter are not correct. He added that there is no development on the issue, while noting that developments (in the region) certainly have an impact.

He added that during Monday's discussion at the UN Security Council, some Permanent Members said that during these difficult times in the region, it is positive that there was such a development. They also expressed the need, he said, for more positive developments in relation to the Cyprus issue, speaking specifically about the appointment of an envoy.

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.