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- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I participate in today's anniversary event of the Democratic Party, just a few days before the 20th anniversary of our country's accession to the great European family.
As I have repeatedly mentioned, our accession to the European Union (EU) is the most important political and diplomatic success of our country since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, especially if we consider how this effort started, what were the first reactions, how many people really believed that the Republic of Cyprus could become an EU member state without the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
Without a trace of exaggeration, the historic fifth enlargement of the Union in 2004 was and remains the culminating development that shaped and continues to shape decisively and for the better the fate and future of our country and its citizens.
Our accession to the EU on 1 May 2004 was not a mere procedural act. It was the culmination of clear, long-term planning, with a vision and a plan, with a specific strategy that was served through a series of actions and activities at many levels.
Above all, however, it was the result of the joint strategy drawn up and followed by the Governments of Cyprus and Greece. And because we must mention the historical truth, it was the decisive role of the Greek Government in the summer of 1990, so that our application for membership was submitted on 4 July that year.
It was truly, and I stress this, the culmination of a titanic effort by Nicosia and Athens, which established and further strengthened our relations on a new basis, as two states now members of the great European family. At the same time, the success of accession, but also the whole effort that preceded it, the decision to submit the application, the technical and political negotiations and everything that preceded 1 May 2004 constituted a collective effort, a collective endeavour of the political leadership here in Cyprus, but also of the Cypriot people themselves.
If we try to turn the clock back 20 years, we will have no difficulty at all in realizing the drastic change that EU membership brought to our lives in all aspects of our everyday life. But the most important change of all, which I would like to take this opportunity to highlight today, is our strengthened position, diplomatically and politically, resulting from the fact that we now belong to a large and powerful family of half a billion citizens in a territory stretching from Helsinki to Nicosia and from Lisbon to Warsaw and Rome. This enhanced position is important for any EU member, but let us consider how important it is when we are talking about a small state that has been under occupation for 50 years.
The Republic of Cyprus, then - there is also this dimension that needs to be recalled - has been a member of the Eurozone since 2008, which places it at the hard core of the European Union, at the core of the most important political and economic decision-making centres. At the same time, this status of our country creates multiple synergies, which strengthen our confidence and fill us with optimism for the future.
During this twenty-year journey, with difficulties, with challenges, together with our partners we have faced major crises, such as the banking and economic collapse of the last decade and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine. I invite you today to consider how much more difficult it would be for the Republic of Cyprus to face these challenges if it were outside the EU.
The European Union is, therefore, the space that has offered us and offers us the opportunity to always, in a spirit of cooperation, to claim what is right and to fight for what is possible, for the good of the Union, its citizens and the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus. We are quite realistic, we understand the limits, the constraints, but also the interests that exist within the EU as well. However, the united Europe is our family, and despite any problems and challenges, it is within it that we seek solutions to the major issues we have to deal with. We have a clear orientation, a vision of where we want the EU to go, how we want the EU to evolve, and we are joining forces with those who envision more Europe, strategically more autonomous, more united, more effective, more inclusive. And it is important that these principles are also embraced by the European political space in which the Democratic Party participates.
The migration crisis, social inequalities, climate change, regional tensions and conflicts are just some of the issues that highlight the importance and significance of Europe, but at the same time show the areas where more and more effective EU engagement is needed.
In this context, in this perspective, I also see the role that the Union can play in terms of efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem as particularly important. That is why we have invested in Europe's substantial engagement and support for the new effort that we have gradually managed to launch through the appointment of the Secretary General's personal envoy. It was precisely in this context that very recently, at the extraordinary European Council in April, through the relevant Conclusions, we have managed to establish a clear link between progress on Euro-Turkish issues and developments on the Cyprus problem, within the agreed framework.
I really believe in Europe. I believe in its soft power and that this EU can achieve much more. As President of the Republic, and previously as Foreign Minister, I have invested and continue to invest in the role of Europe, because I am absolutely convinced that the acquis can serve not only as a basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem, but also as the most important safeguard for the implementation of an eventual solution to the Cyprus problem. A homeland where all its legal residents, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latinos can fully enjoy their human rights as European citizens in a reunited homeland.
Through our overall strategy, we have succeeded and continue to seek to further overturn a perception in Brussels of our country as a country with a single-issue agenda, interested only in Turkey, Euro-Turkey and the Cyprus problem.
I really believe that 20 years after our accession, through specific actions and activities, Cyprus is now approached as a creative and reliable partner, with a significant participation in European events, with a voice and a role in the efforts and issues of interest to European citizens, in all the major issues that concern the EU.
Our country is also a country with a remarkable footprint, given our small size, in terms of the regional initiatives it has undertaken, the main objective of which is to promote peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
I am particularly pleased that before coming to the event, I was informed by the President of the European Commission, who I had invited to come to Cyprus to celebrate together the 20th anniversary of the accession of the Republic of Cyprus, that she will be in Cyprus on 1 May, so that we can celebrate together. I consider her positive response as an indication and recognition of the role that the Republic of Cyprus plays within the EU.
In this context, the exercise of the EU Presidency by the Republic of Cyprus in the first half of 2026 takes the form of a national mission with a pan-European dimension. This is a very important milestone for the Republic of Cyprus, to which our government and I personally attach particular importance, for reasons I am sure you understand.
It is precisely for this reason that we proceeded in good time with the establishment of the Deputy Ministry for European Affairs and the appointment of the responsible Deputy Minister. I am fully aware that it is not only important that we carry out our Presidency - I had the great blessing, honour to participate in the previous Presidency - but this Presidency must be much more successful than the first Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus in 2012.
I would like to take advantage of my presence here today to convey to you, my friend Mario, my sincere thanks and my appreciation for your substantial contribution to this effort, which relates both to the Cyprus problem and to the economy, to the major issues that we are called upon to respond to on a daily basis, and the contribution of the Democratic Party is essential.
With all the above in mind, I close by saying that for me and our Government, a strong EU means a strong Cyprus. My political promise is that I will work tirelessly, both in the context of my participation in the European Council and more broadly, so that the EU, our common family, remains cohesive and united, to be even stronger in this difficult period we are going through with the geopolitical instability and the war that has returned, unfortunately, in our region, but also in the European continent.
It is my firm conviction that by remaining faithful to the founding principles and values of the Union. We can look forward to better days, we can look forward to an even better and stronger European Union for the benefit of our citizens and, above all, for the benefit of the new generation of Europeans.
(PM/NYAN/GS)
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