Freedom Square, 9 May 2023
It is a great pleasure to be with you today in Freedom Square to celebrate together Europe Day, an anniversary with a strong symbolic meaning.
Today, in 1950, the foundations of the European project were laid. The "Schumann Declaration" was both the starting point and the compass for reshaping Europe. Visionaries such as Robert Schumann and Jean Monnett laid the foundations for what we enjoy today. They succeeded in creating a workable project of cooperation between countries that only five years ago were at war. They succeeded where other efforts in the past had failed. Efforts such as Count Kalergi's Pan-European Union Forum in 1923, the Bryand Plan in 1929 and Alexis Léger's Memorandum in 1930.
These efforts failed for two reasons. Firstly, because they took place at a time when chauvinism and nationalism prevailed. On the other hand, they were highly ambitious. Monnet and Schumann managed to decode the need for a European partnership in stages. They were conservative and at the same time pursuing a grandiose vision. They turned this apparent contradiction into a tool for success. They managed to combine realism with vision. And they made the moment the future. From their example emerges the true meaning of leadership.
The gradual integration of sectors of the economy and critical production created the process of European integration. They were founded on common values such as democracy, pluralism, freedom and cooperation, with a pragmatic approach and the importance always attached to markets and the economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are proud to participate as the Republic of Cyprus in this ongoing effort. Our accession to the European Union is the most important strategic achievement for our country.
Today we celebrate this participation. We must not, however, take this achievement for granted or assume that it will continue unhindered.
We face crises, we face challenges. We have had, for example, the crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, and lately we are facing the huge crisis arising from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. We need constant monitoring of what is happening. We need a commitment to the values of the EU and not to take anything for granted. It offers in the everyday lives of citizens, in areas such as the economy, environmental protection, issues related to the rule of law and gender equality, defending public health, green energy and the digital transition.
The Cyprus problem is part of this equation. The reunification of our country goes through the EU. This is our goal and the EU can play a catalytic role. In this context, we ought to participate actively, constructively and productively in the European Union, both as citizens and as a Member State.
As the Schumann Declaration stated. It will be created through concrete achievements which will first create a de facto solidarity."
These new achievements and solidarity are our task.
(MF/NG/EXP)
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