The Cypriot Presidency is coming to an end, leaving a meaningful imprint both on the country’s European course and on the international image of Nicosia, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou stressed in his address at the event “Nicosia and the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.”
“We are in the final month of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union. A significant national mission that brought Cyprus to the forefront of European developments and highlighted its role as an equal and reliable partner within the European family,” he said.
He noted that the Cypriot Presidency “consistently served the role of an honest broker, promoting dialogue, consensus, and common European solutions to the complex challenges of our time.”
He also stated that during a period of geopolitical shifts and increasing demands for a stronger and more resilient Europe, “Cyprus worked responsibly and with dedication to strengthen European unity and the Union’s strategic autonomy.”
“In achieving this goal, Nicosia played a leading role. In recent months, the capital has been the heart of the European Union,” the Minister added.
“As we move towards the completion of the Cypriot Presidency, we can say with pride that Nicosia successfully met the increased demands of this mission,” he underlined.
He further noted that “the presence of thousands of European officials, technocrats, journalists, and institutional representatives in our city also had a deeper political and symbolic dimension.”
“Their physical presence here helped make even more visible the reality that Cyprus has faced for five decades, remaining the last divided capital of the European Union,” Ioannou added.
At the same time, he said, this highlighted the European dimension of the Cyprus issue and its close connection with the principles and values upon which the Union itself is founded.
“The capital proved that it can stand at the center of European developments and represent the Republic of Cyprus with credibility and effectiveness,” the Interior Minister concluded.
