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The President of the Republic Mr.Nikos Christodoulides addressed and laid a wreath today at the meeting of the EOKA Fighters' Associations on the theme "Day of Remembrance of the Detention Centres", at Kokkinotrimithia Detention Centre, in Nicosia.
Subsequently, the President of the Republic made statements to the representatives of the media.
In response to a journalist's question on the issue of the abolition of the veto right in view of the European Council meeting, the President said: "I consider the Berlin meeting to be important because in essence it marks the beginning of substantial discussions on the future of the European Union, strategic autonomy. This is why the President of the European Council has chosen to hold these small meetings. There will be only seven leaders in this particular meeting that will take place tomorrow."
President Christodoulides also stated that the Republic of Cyprus will attend the Summit with targeted positions, with a more general vision, clearly in favour of the strategic autonomy of the European Union. He described as the most important point and what will also occupy the meeting that will take place, is the ways in which this strategic autonomy can be achieved. "We need the means, the tools to reach this strategic autonomy. There are ideas, there are thoughts of the Republic of Cyprus, as there are of all member states", he said.
Then the President said: "For example, we are advocates together with other states - to mention especially France, Greece - in the further integration of the European Union. We must move forward. And I think that immediately after the elections for the Members of the European Parliament, next year, this process will start, which will be about the future of Europe and how it can respond to today's challenges."
The President also referred to the changing regional and international environment to which the European Union is called upon to respond, the competitions, which are not only about international politics, the issues of the economy, the competitiveness of the European Union, the autonomy of the European Union - to "All this will be the subject of tomorrow. I consider it particularly important, I repeat, that we will have the opportunity in a free environment, because it will be without partners, to have this very debate", he added.
Asked to comment on the issue raised by the lifting of the veto and whether this is linked to the next enlargement of the European Union, President Christodoulides said that there are thoughts of abolishing the need for unanimity on foreign policy issues whether there is enlargement or not. "The issue of enlargement is another issue that will occupy the discussions that will take place. If this abolition of unanimity will lead to the strengthening of the European Union, we as the Republic of Cyprus are ready to discuss it," he added: "What we have to answer before we deal with this issue - and it is one of the arguments I will develop tomorrow - is how we define the European interest, what is the interest of the European Union. That is where we need to focus." In addition, the President said that the Republic of Cyprus is ready to discuss all the means and all the tools needed to achieve the objectives, which, however, must be clear.
(KC/MS)
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