Cyprus wants to create a regional organization to promote security in the Middle East, its president said on Tuesday, saying it could be a platform to anchor stability in one of the world’s most volatile neighborhoods.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, discussing the idea publicly for the first time, President Nikos Christodoulides said Nicosia was working on “maturing the necessary political conditions” to create a regional safety and cooperation organization.

“If you like, a sort of NATO or a sort of OSCE of the Middle East, that would underline the benefits of promoting regional cooperation,” Christodoulides told a conference in Nicosia.

Christodoulides said Cyprus was ready to spearhead the initiative, positioning itself as a diplomatic bridge between Europe and its southern neighbors.

EU member Cyprus has operated as an evacuation hub for civilians with foreign nationalities fleeing conflicts in the Middle East, including airlifts from Sudan and other volatile areas.

It also served as a maritime corridor to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza via a short-lived pier and later via Israel.