BRUSSELS — The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean was discussed during a European Council teleconference on Belarus on Wednesday, with Council President Charles Michel expressing the EU's support to Greece and Cyprus before Turkish illegal actions in the region.

In a statement following the online meeting, Michel said, "The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the relations with Turkey were raised by some member states. We are increasingly concerned about the growing tensions and stressed the urgent need to de-escalate. We expressed our full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and recalled and reaffirmed our previous conclusions on the illegal drilling activities. We agreed to revert to these issues during our meeting in September. All options will be on the table."

(ANA-MPA/I. Zarkadoula)