(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 11 - "I'd like to thank the EU and its leaders for their support of Cyprus. We would also like to thank the member states that have provided resources to strengthen our defence: Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. Cyprus and its people will never forget: this is solidarity in action, a tangible demonstration of solidarity. The message is clear: Cyprus is not the EU's periphery, but rather its beacon in the Middle East." Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, made this statement in the Strasbourg Chamber during a debate on the Middle East escalation. (ANSA).