The Republic of Cyprus is fully prepared to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January, 2026, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, has underlined.
He was speaking on 30 December after a visit to the Filoxenia Conference Center in Nicosia, which will host a great part of the Presidency's events and activities.
He added that "a successful Presidency will send out a strong signal for the Republic of Cyprus" and that "a strong European Union also means a strong Republic of Cyprus," noting that the goal of the Cyprus Presidency is European autonomy and a "European Union open to the world."
In his introductory remarks to the press representatives present during the visit, the President of the Republic thanked "all those who contributed decisively to enabling us to say today that, from an organisational point of view, we are fully prepared."
He also thanked the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, for coordinating the work, the Ministry of Transport, which, he said, contributed decisively to the creation of the venues, as well as the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, which, he said, has an important role to play during the Presidency in general.
A great mission
"We are ready to take on this great mission, this national mission. The most important thing for us during these six months is to see results. Now that we have completed our preparations, we are focusing on results."
He noted that what they are seeking to achieve is European autonomy and a European Union that is open to the world. "We are fully prepared, in cooperation with our other partners, with the other 26 Member States, with the European Commission, with the European Parliament, I repeat, to achieve results," he went on to say.
"We are taking over the Presidency at a critical, decisive moment for the European Union, both in terms of internal processes the legislative dossiers we have to manage, the most important of which is, of course, the Multiannual Financial Framework, which should reflect the priorities of the European Union for the next seven years," he continued.
"At the same time, there is the issue of Ukraine, where we will continue to support Ukraine. After all, as I have said many times, we know better than anyone else what the country is going through, what the Ukrainian people are going through," he added.
He also said that defence and security issues are very high on the Cyprus Presidency's agenda, as are issues relating to the competitiveness of the European Union, where, in cooperation with the European Parliament, there is an expectation of concrete positive results that will strengthen the Union’s competitiveness.
He added that other issues include migration, issues that affect the daily lives of European citizens, such as housing, protecting children from the internet, and many others, "all of which, I repeat, aim to strengthen the autonomy of the European Union through further integration".
"A successful Presidency, which I repeat I have no doubt about, also means a strong, even stronger signal as regards the Republic of Cyprus. For us, a strong European Union also means a strong Republic of Cyprus. So we are ready, I repeat, for this national mission," he stressed.
An institutional role
Asked to comment on reports that circles in the European Union are expressing concern about the Cypriot Presidency, due in part to the Republic of Cyprus' long-standing differences with Turkey, President Christodoulides said that the Republic of Cyprus will assume its institutional role and knows very well how to manage this institutional role.
"Turkey will be approached as a candidate country for accession, as it is, and I expect Turkey to behave in the same way in relation to the institutional Presidency of the European Union," he added.
Asked if invitations had been sent out for the informal EU Summit in April, President Christodoulides said that no official invitations have been sent, adding that a date has been sent to be marked in the calendars of the heads of state and those who will participate, but it was too early to send official invitations.
Asked if there were any plans to organise a meeting during the Cyprus Presidency exclusively on Ukraine, with the possible participation of the Ukrainian, but also the US and Russian Presidents, the President of the Republic said that the government is closely monitoring developments at the international level, beyond the European Union, in relation to Ukraine.
"As I mentioned earlier, this will be a priority for the Cyprus Presidency. And I would like to remind you that during my visit to Ukraine on 4 December, I submitted to the Ukrainian President 19 specific ideas that the Republic of Cyprus is ready to undertake during its six-month Presidency in relation to Ukraine. Depending on recent developments, we are ready to take on other such initiatives," he said.
Strengthening EU relations with the wider Middle East
Asked if there are any plans for an informal meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the Palestinian Authority in Nicosia, President Christodoulides said that one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency is to substantially strengthen the European Union's relations with the wider Middle East.
"That is why leaders from the region have been invited to the informal European Council on April 23 and 24. I am sure that during their visit to Cyprus, some of them may wish to meet," he added.
Asked if he had decided to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit Cyprus during the upcoming six-month Presidency, the President of the Republic said that at the bilateral level, the invitation had been open from the moment he was elected.
"Beyond that, within the framework of the Presidency, any initiatives are always taken in cooperation with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, without ruling out such a possibility," he noted.
Asked about what percentage of the €90 billion that the EU has decided to give as aid to Ukraine corresponds to the Republic of Cyprus, President Christodoulides said that the €90 billion will come from the existing European Union budget and not from the member states. "This is the decision taken by the European Council," he added.
Asked about the programme of the Presidency’s official opening ceremony on 7 January and whether foreign leaders would attend the President said that this is the first official event of the Presidency. "As for the participation of foreign leaders, yes, there are responses from foreign leaders who will participate on 7 January, and specific names will be announced," he added.
On her part, Marilena Raouna noted that the opening ceremony of the Cyprus Presidency will take place on 7 January, at the Cyprus Theatre Organisation premises.
"It will be an event aimed at highlighting Cyprus as a member state belonging to the Eastern Mediterranean with a rich cultural heritage, which acts as a bridge between the region and the European Union," she added.
(Source: CNA)
