Nicosia: Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen Area will primarily strengthen security in the country, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, stated on Monday. He emphasized that from the Government’s perspective, there are no concerns about ‘a hard border’ in relation to the Green Line.
According to Cyprus News Agency, when asked about the concerns expressed by the Turkish Cypriot side regarding Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen zone and the potential creation of ‘a hard border’, President Christodoulides acknowledged that concerns had been voiced by both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. However, he reiterated that the primary motivation for joining Schengen is to enhance national security.
President Christodoulides recalled similar apprehensions that arose when the Republic of Cyprus applied for European Union membership, with some voices predicting either non-accession or partition upon joining. He assured that the Government has a clear plan and is committed to achieving the goal of Schengen accession without the fear of establishing a hard border, insisting that such a move would bolster the country’s security, which is a primary obligation to its citizens.
He further mentioned that the Government aims for Cyprus to join the Schengen Area next year and is diligently working to resolve all technical issues to ensure that this objective is met.