Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, in the framework of the commemorative event for the 20^th anniversary of the accession of Cyprus to the European Union (EU), organised by the Democratic Alignment, stated that a strong EU means a strong Cyprus.

In his address, the President of the Republic referred to the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU, stating that it has been the greatest political and diplomatic success from the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, taking into consideration the accession process as well as the initial beliefs whether the Republic of Cyprus could become an EU member state without the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

The President of the Republic mentioned, inter alia, the significant role the Greek government played in the summer of 1990, which led to the Republic of Cyprus’ application for membership to the EU.

Among the many changes the accession to the EU family has brought to Cypriot people’s lives, “the most noteworthy change of all is our strengthened position, diplomatically and politically, arising from the fact that we now belong to a large and powerful family of half a billion people,” said the President of the Republic.

Moreover, the President of the Republic noted that united Europe is our family, and despite all the problems and challenges it faces, it is the place where we seek solutions to the big issues we have to deal with.

“We have a clear orientation, a vision of where we would like to see the EU in the future, how we want it to evolve. We join our forces, our voices with those who envision a better Europe, strategically more autonomous, more united, more effective, more inclusive,” the President of the Republic said.

With regard to the Cyprus problem, the President of the Republic highlighted the crucial role the Union could play in the efforts for the resolution of the Cyprus problem. Cyprus has invested in Europe’s substantial engagement and support of the efforts the Cypriot government has gradually launched through the appointment of the United Nations Secretary-General’s personal envoy. Additionally, he mentioned the importance of the recent extraordinary European Council, which established a clear link between the progress in Euro-Turkish relations and developments on the Cyprus problem, within the agreed framework.

The President of the Republic also stated that twenty years since our accession to the EU, “Cyprus is now approached as reliable and constructive partner, with significant participation in European affairs, with a voice and a role in the efforts and issues of interest to European citizens on all major issues of concern to the EU.” Futhermore, he remarked that our country “is a country with a remarkable footprint, given our small size, in terms of regional initiatives it has undertaken, with the main objective of promoting peace, stability and cooperation in the region.”

In closing, the President of the Republic referred to the holding of the EU Presidency by the Republic of Cyprus in the first half of 2026, stating that it “is a very important milestone for the Republic of Cyprus, to which our administration and I personally attach great importance.” He also acknowledged the significant role the newly established Deputy Ministry for European Affairs as well as the Deputy Minister for European Affairs will play in order to make Cyprus’ EU Presidency in 2026 more successful than the previous one in 2012. 

(GS/NGian)