Today marks 19 years since the Republic of Cyprus joined the European Union as a full member state.
May 1, 2004 is a historic milestone for Cyprus, our country's greatest diplomatic success since its independence in 1960.
The concerted and persistent efforts of the Republic of Cyprus, with the catalytic contribution and support of Greece, made it possible for us to join the great European family as an equal member. An effort that began in 1990 when the application for membership of the then European Economic Community (EEC) was submitted, continued in 1998 when accession negotiations between Cyprus and the EU began, and culminated in December 2002 with the decision of the Copenhagen European Council. This was followed, in 2003, by the signing in Athens of the Treaty of Accession to the EU and was sealed on 1 May 2004 with the formal accession of Cyprus to the EU.
The vision for the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union was absolutely intertwined with the security and prosperity of our country, but, above all, with the utilisation and catalytic contribution of our status as a full member state to the solution of our national problem. This added value and decisive dimension was also evident in the latest negotiation process for a settlement of the Cyprus problem, making European law, and the principles and values on which the EU is founded, an integral and indisputable part of the content of the envisaged solution.
It is precisely within this dimension that the President of the Republic of Cyprus' proposal for a more active and substantial involvement of the EU, always within the framework of the United Nations, in the effort first to break the deadlock and to resume negotiations from where they left off, and finally to resolve the Cyprus problem. The European Union possesses those tools and incentives that can be used at the present juncture, as shaped by the international scene, to make possible a mutually beneficial state of affairs leading to the resolution of the Cyprus problem. For the success of this proposal, we call upon all political forces to contribute positively with all the means at their disposal.
The goal of European integration will be achieved only through the resolution of our supreme national problem and as the Republic of Cyprus we must make every possible effort in this direction. The EU is our common home and future with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.
The messages of our country's accession to the European Union in 2004 remain more relevant today than ever before. It is practical proof of achieving difficult national goals through unity, when we remain committed to clear objectives over time, on the basis of a clear and targeted strategy. It is the same unity and commitment that we must demonstrate today.
(PM/MB)
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