Cypriot EU presidency begins, ‘autonomous and open to the world’
Brussels (ANSA) – The six-month rotating presidency of the European Union led by Cyprus has begun. Among the priority objectives set by Nicosia is the creation of a more autonomous Union from every point of view, starting with security. “Europe does not give in to crises, it does not fear challenges. On the contrary, it embraces them as opportunities and evolves,” stressed the Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides at the opening ceremony organized in the village of Leukara.
The program is based on five pillars: autonomy through security and defense; autonomy through competitiveness; a Union open to the world, autonomous; a Union autonomous in its values and for everyone; a budget for an autonomous EU. Support for Ukraine will continue to be a guiding star.
“The Republic of Cyprus knows what invasion and occupation mean,” Chrostodoulides stressed, with an implicit reference to Northern Cyprus, controlled by the Turkish army. A situation that makes Nicosia the last European capital still marked by a dividing wall. Among the most difficult issues it will have to face is certainly that of the 2028–34 multiannual budget, on which an agreement is distant both among the 27 and between the Commission and the European Parliament.
The goal is to reach a negotiating position by the end of June. The Pact for the Mediterranean will be another cornerstone of the presidency and will be among the main dossiers of the informal summit of the 27 scheduled for April 23, to which the leaders of the Southern Neighbourhood will be invited.
In this sense, Cyprus wants to make the best use of its position: strategic not only on the front of migration flows and for relations with the Middle East and the southern shore of the Mediterranean, but also as a possible energy hub at a time when the EU is completing the replacement of Russian gas and oil.
In a message shared on social media, the president of the European Council António Costa sent his best wishes to Christodoulides, expressing the hope for a “fruitful and successful” presidency and assuring “close” cooperation over the next six months for “a more resilient and stronger Europe.”
Words of support also came from the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, who welcomed the start of the Cypriot semester, stressing her confidence in Nicosia’s ability to contribute to the development of the EU as an “autonomous Union open to the world.” Metsola also assured that the European Parliament is ready to work with the Cypriot presidency as a “solid and reliable partner” over the course of the semester. (1 January)
