The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Christodoulides received today, at the Presidential Palace, the annual report of the European Parliament in Cyprus from the Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus Mr.Andreas Kettis.
Handing over the report, Mr. Kettis said that it covers the year 2022, adding that the mission of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus "is to inform Cypriot European citizens about what is happening in the European Parliament, both the resolutions and the legislation it produces together with the Council."
He added that the European Parliament is the only directly elected European institution of the EU, expressing thanks to the President of the Republic for the support provided to his office.
Kettis noted that "the institutions are particularly pleased that the President of the Republic of Cyprus is so pro-European. Brussels is not far from Cyprus. Cyprus and the EU are the same thing, we are at the core, it is very important for a small member state like our country to be at the core of European integration.
As far as the second Cyprus Presidency of the Council is concerned, if the Government wants to have a good Presidency, it will have an excellent Presidency, and with you at the helm of the Government I would have no doubt, knowing and having the experience of the first Cyprus Presidency which was successful.
In the area of youth, which I know how much you are interested in, it is very important, as part of the effort made by the new Minister of Education, with whom I will be meeting, in the context of the new curriculum, to include some elements relating to the history of the European process. It is very important to start from primary schools", so that children know their rights.
Receiving the report, the President of the Republic said that "our meeting coincides after my visit to Brussels. I am aware of the excellent work done by the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, which I believe is recognised by the whole of Cypriot society.
In particular, I would like to focus on the dimension of the work done towards Cypriot youth, because that is where our efforts should be focused.
Personally, I am not satisfied with the extent to which our fellow citizens understand the importance, but also the importance they attach to European events and we have a responsibility as a government - and it is something I mentioned in the Council of Ministers and publicly - considering that our accession to the EU was the most important success. An accession that we are gradually taking advantage of to the extent that we should be taking advantage of, and we clearly need to do more.
The legislative work of the European Parliament is of crucial importance and it also concerns the Republic of Cyprus, since a significant number of our legislation is the adoption of decisions taken in Brussels.
What we need to understand both as the executive, but also the legislature, as well as the Cypriot MEPs, is that we should not limit ourselves to adopting the decisions of either the European Parliament or the European Parliament. That is why I consider your role, the role of the Office, to be crucial.
Our cooperation will be even stronger, we have common goals and common aspirations and we have a milestone ahead of us which I consider crucial, the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.
We worked on the first Presidency, we know how important it was, how important it is for a small member state like the Republic of Cyprus to have a successful Presidency, as we had in 2012, and this is by all accounts, not just our assessment. The work done by the EU institutions and our partners in the EU has been recognized and we want this second Presidency to be even more successful and the cooperation with the European Parliament Office in Cyprus is a prerequisite.
In conclusion, let me reiterate that our cooperation will be strengthened to achieve our common goals. The EU is our common home, it is our common family, the European family, and we should have a more active, more substantial role in the discussions that take place and in the decisions that are taken."
(PM/MP/MG/EXP)
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