Yes, thank you very much, Mr. President dear Guy.

It's a great pleasure to meet you so soon again after Davos.

And on such an important occasion, but please allow me,

given the gravity of the situation, to start with some remarks on the Middle East.

The developments in the Middle East are deeply concerning.

I was in touch with nine Middle East leaders over the weekend and seven European leaders.

The situation remains volatile, but 3 things are noteworthy.

First and most importantly, there is a renewed hope for the oppressed people of Iran.

And we strongly support their right to determine their own future.

Second, we must work hard to de-escalate and stop the conflict spreading.

In the last hours we have witnessed numerous attacks including a drone attack targeting the British airbase in Cyprus.

We also saw a strike on the Saudi Aramco oil facility.

And I condemn in the strongest terms these reckless and indiscriminate attacks by Iran and its proxies against sovereign territories across the region.

And my 3rd point is the stability of the region is of the utmost importance.

The only lasting solution is a diplomatic one.

And this means a credible transition for Iran.

The definite hold to both the nuclear and ballistic programs,

and an end to destabilizing activities in the region.

This afternoon we will discuss the overall situation in a meeting of the Security College here in the European Commission.

Because from energy to nuclear, from transport to migration to security,

we must be prepared for the fallout from these recent events.