New Delhi, March 3 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a telephonic conversation with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos on Tuesday, discussing the current situation in West Asia.
Following their conversation, EAM Jaishankar in a post on X wrote, "Spoke with FM Constantinos Kombos of Cyprus, holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Exchanged views on the situation in the Gulf."
Cyprus government on Monday said that two drones flying towards the country, possibly targetting the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Akrotiri in the southern part of Cyprus island, were intercepted on Monday.
Cyprus Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that three British aircraft scrambled from the base and "dealt with" the drones in a timely manner, Xinhua News Agency reported. The incident marked a second attack within hours, after a drone hit the runway shortly after midnight, causing minor damage, however, no casualties were reported.
Base authorities directed non-essential personnel to leave and ordered residents of the nearby Akrotiri village on the southern coast of the island to evacuate. UK authorities are carrying out a probe into the overnight strike.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides discussed the incident with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who termed it a matter of serious concern for European security and reaffirmed the EU's support for its members.
The latest conflict in West Asia began after joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, aimed at degrading Tehran's missile capabilities and broader military infrastructure.
The opening wave of the operation killed senior figures in the Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a sweeping response from Iran in the form of drone and missile attacks targetting US assets, regional capitals and allied forces across West Asia.
Kombos had met EAM Jaishankar in Washington last month and congratulated him on the India-US trade deal and the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU).
--IANS
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