Press Releases

It is with feelings of pride and joy that I welcome you to the Presidential Palace to celebrate the 20th anniversary marking the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union (EU).

I am particularly delighted because, on this very special day, the day that marks the most significant achievement of the Republic of Cyprus since its establishment in 1960, we have the pleasure and the great honour of hosting in Cyprus the President of the European Commission, our dear friend Ursula, in an event that is not only celebratory, but also focuses on the new generation, the future of our country and Europe.

Dear Ursula, thank you very much for your presence here, for accepting my invitation, which I interpret, inter alia, as a sign of the major importance you attach to the new generation of European citizens as President of the European Commission. On behalf of the State, the Government and the Cypriot people as a whole, I welcome you to Cyprus.

The accession of Cyprus to the EU is an extremely important milestone in the contemporary history of our country. It is the culmination of a joint, long-lasting and arduous strategic pursuit and diplomatic effort with a profoundly positive impact on the political, economic and social life of our country.

It was precisely 20 years ago, on this day, May 1st 2004, that Cyprus became an equal, full and integral member of a strong and united group of states. A group of states with which we share common values and principles, defending democracy, the rule of law and pluralism.

My dear children, we celebrate this anniversary with feelings of pride, optimism, but above all with a sense of duty and responsibility towards all of you, the future of Europe.

We are proud because accession has brought us enormous benefits in all aspects of human activity, ranging from our daily lives to trade, entrepreneurship, tourism, health, fisheries, shipping, agriculture, transportation, and the economy of our country, everywhere.

I am overwhelmed with feelings of optimism, because we know how important it is to be part of a strong family and how much more we can achieve as active members of the EU.

We feel a sense of duty and responsibility towards all of you, because we recognise the need to deliver to you a reliable and active member state, reunited, which will continue to be at the core of the decision-making centres in Brussels with a substantive voice and role. A state that continues to make a constructive contribution to the shaping of European policies with the ultimate goal of further integration. For a Union of Security with a clear geopolitical orientation, with strategic objectives and strategic autonomy, capable of effectively addressing any challenges.

That is why today, my dear children, I want to focus on all of you, the new generation, all of you who constitute the future of Cyprus and Europe, for you are our primary concern behind every decision we make.

I sincerely believe that among the many, the most important attributes that our membership entails, is the freedom and the opportunity provided to all European citizens, and especially to you, today’s pupils and tomorrow’s students, to move freely within the Union, to settle, to study and to work in any European country you desire. All this, my dear children, was not a given prior to our accession to the EU.

At the same time, the exchange of experiences, as achieved through various European initiatives, youth actions and school programmes, to which dear Ursula, through deeds rather than words, has given a special impetus during her term of office as President of the European Commission, are not only accompanied by positive results solely for you.

The greatest gain lies for the member states of the Union, since the enlargement of learning mobility and cross-border cooperation among youth, between all of you, constitute the basis for more solidarity, more mutual understanding, closer relations between European citizens and, by extension, a stronger Europe.

One such example is the 'School Ambassador' programme, a pan-European secondary education programme involving fifty-five schools in Cyprus, which you all represent here today.

Dear pupils, we have an obligation, and we know this very well, to intensify our efforts in order to bequeath to the new generation a Europe that is more prosperous, more just, more inclusive, more competitive, with high standards of quality of life.

A real Citizens' Union, based on sustainable development and the green economy, on digitalisation, on innovation, which promotes youth entrepreneurship in practice and puts the interests of its citizens at the centre of all its policies.

In this context, I am firmly convinced that constant consultation with young people, their active participation in decision-making centres and electoral processes, as well as the promotion of their involvement in the public sphere are the basis and the background for achieving what I have just mentioned. That is why I invite you, in view of the fact that 2024 has been decided to be the "Year of Youth", but even more so because of this year's 20th anniversary of our accession to the EU, to participate en masse in the great celebration of democracy on 9 June for the election of the members of the European Parliament. I truly believe that your participation in unison, the participation of the Cypriot people in unison, will be the best celebration of the 20th anniversary of our accession.

As Cypriot citizens, we feel proud to be part of the most successful peace project in the world. A project that was created from the ashes of two World Wars to establish peace, security and cooperation which has today succceded in evolving into one of the strongest economies on the planet, with a profoundly strong system of values and an undeniable geostrategic footprint.

We invest in this successful peace project in order for the occupation to come to an end and for our country to be reunited. And indeed, the European Union is our main supporter in the effort to achieve peace in our country through a mutually beneficial state of affairs that will bring about a consolidation of a sense of security and cooperation in the troubled region in which we find ourselves.

On such a day and in the presence of the President of the European Commission, which is a great honour for our country and the Cypriot people, celebrating and commemorating such an important anniversary, we could not have had better interlocutors than all of you, the representatives of the new generation, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

After all, we work for all of you with the sole aim of achieving a European Union that is even stronger, even more resilient, even more competitive.

(EP)