Representatives from 14 European institutions, organisations, and states are expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU on Wednesday, 7 January, in Nicosia, the Spokesperson of the Cyprus Presidency, Stella Michael, has said, noting that one of the messages sent by their presence in Cyprus has to do with the way the country can act as a bridge between the European Union and the countries in the region.
According to Michael, several foreign delegations will attend the opening ceremony, as representatives from 14 European institutions, organisations, and states are expected to attend. She also said that bilateral meetings will be held in Nicosia with the delegations that will be in the capital for the opening ceremony.
"Accreditations from foreign delegations are continuing. The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of Ukraine, the President of Moldova, the President of Lebanon, and the President of Iraq will attend. The Secretaries-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League will also be present, as well as delegations from other neighboring countries," she said, speaking to CNA.
"January 7 is an emblematic event for the Cyprus Presidency with the opening ceremony. It will be a big day in terms of contacts, in the sense that there will also be several bilateral meetings in Nicosia with all the delegations that will be in the capital for the opening ceremony. There is an intensive program of bilateral contacts, which are currently being finalised, and after the ceremony, the President of the Republic will host an official dinner for the heads of the delegations," Michael noted.
She added that "one of the messages we are sending with their presence in Cyprus has to do with the way Cyprus can also act as a bridge between the European Union and the countries of the region."
"With this ceremony we want to highlight how the history of Cyprus has evolved from antiquity up until now, through its culture and history, and the strong ties that exist with the European Union, how this journey culminated in Cyprus' accession to the European Union in 2004 and how it is essentially moving forward within the united European family based on European principles and values, with the aim of peace and stability, and how, through synergies under the auspices of the EU, there can be mutual benefit for all," she stressed.
According to Michael, rehearsals for the ceremony are being held daily by all those involved, including the artists, the organisers, the police in relation to the arrangements, and the public TV (CyBC) for the televised broadcast of the event. As she mentioned, rehearsals were held on Saturday and in the coming days to ensure that everything was ready.
(Source: CNA)
