Reunited Cyprus should be a single functioning European state that will support all its citizens, a powerful member state of Europe and the eurozone, not a product of settlements that will export problems, and here Europe’s political support is a given and unwavering, said the Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, in his address at the event on the 20th anniversary of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union, which took place on Thursday evening at the Municipal Theater of Nicosia.
According to Schinas, 1 May 2024 finds its place among the great dates that have indelibly marked the history of Cyprus, next to the struggle for independence and the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, marking and signalling “the end of a small, dependent and vulnerable Cyprus and the beginning of a strong, dynamic homeland with unshakeable power multipliers offered by its participation in the EU and the Eurozone.”
The accession of Cyprus to the European Union has contributed decisively to the moderni
sation and progress of the country, to the increase in living standards and to the strengthening of the political, cultural and economic ties that historically united Cypriots with Europe, continued the Vice-President of the European Commission, citing as an example the facilitation of Cyprus’ commercial access to international markets, with the value of Cypriot international exports of goods reaching from pound 420 billion in 2004 to pound 3 billion in 2023, and the support from the Recovery and Resilience Fund and the NextGenerationEU for Cyprus’ digital and green transition, with a budget of over pound 1.2 billion.
He also said that at least 8,000 young Cypriots have studied across Europe thanks to the Erasmus programme, while 16,000 students from the rest of Europe have come and studied in Cyprus. He described the EU support as crucial also for the creation of the National Health System of Cyprus in 2017, adding that the NextGenerationEU funding is helping Cyprus to improve the infrastructure of the publ
ic health system, as well as access to public health services, while the Cohesion Funds have been instrumental in supporting local communities and the development of the National Health System of Cyprus in 2017.
There is also no doubt that Cyprus makes the European Union stronger in these turbulent times, Schinas continued, adding that Cyprus is proving that it can make the most of its unique geographical position as a bridge between continents, leading the way in strengthening the European Union’s relations with the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. “You are Europe’s anchor, anchor and leeward port in one of the most geopolitically turbulent regions of the world,” he said.
He added that today Cyprus is emerging as a European reference point for trade, economy, energy, shipping and humanitarian actions between Europe, Africa and Asia, adding that when the country opened a humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza in March with the Amalthea initiative, it proved that “the small can stand by
the big in the hour of crisis”.
According to Schinas, despite the joint successes in returns and the containment of the Green Line flows, Cyprus is now under pressure from Lebanon and the sea, adding however that the country is not alone in managing the problem as the European Commission fully supports Cyprus in addressing this challenge, providing significant operational and financial support in the management of migration.
He added that the personal involvement of the President of the European Commission in what he called the historic agreement with Lebanon last week shows how far the EU is willing to go to support Cyprus, while expressing confidence that the effective implementation of the Pact on Immigration and Asylum will be crucial to achieving a new and fair balance between collective responsibility and solidarity, with Cyprus becoming one of the major beneficiaries of the new legislation.
In this time of celebration and reflection, we must not forget the other great challenge of 1 May 2004, the re
unification of the Republic of Cyprus, the Vice-President of the Commission said, adding that the de facto division of Cyprus is a reminder that the expectations of integration have not yet been fully justified, with division remaining an open wound.
“Europe is not compatible with walls, divided cities, military outposts and peacekeeping forces. The best peacekeeping force for all Cypriots is and will be a united Europe. Our Turkish Cypriot fellow citizens know this well, I hope their leaderships here on the island and in Ankara will understand this,” he added.
“A reunited Cyprus should be a single functional European state that will support and sustain all its citizens, a powerful state member of Europe and the eurozone, not a product of settlements that will export problems, and here Europe’s political support is a given and unwavering”, he stressed on this issue.
“As a Greek, a European and now a bit of a Cypriot, I celebrate with you with joy and pride what we have achieved in the last 20 years. We are
going for more, more and better”, concluded Schinas.
For her part, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said that for Cyprus, joining the European Union was a natural progression as it has always had a European orientation, adding that although over the last 20 years Cyprus has faced many challenges, it continues on its path as an equal and valuable member of the Union.
Referring to the benefits that the country has gained from its accession to the EU, she highlighted the economic boost through the Single Market, the improvement of the quality of life thanks to higher social, environmental and consumer standards, the freedom to choose where to live, study and work and the significant support that the EU provides to Cyprus in areas such as justice, health, green growth, education, digitalisation and energy.
Kyriakides also stressed Cyprus’ position is of strategic importance for EU policy, citing as a recent example the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus launching the Amalthea maritime corridor last M
arch.
The road over these 20 years has not always been easy, there have been challenges and crises alongside the successes, but the European Union is here, beating in the heart of Nicosia and proving every day that the European principles remain as relevant as ever, Kyriakides continued, expressing the hope that these principles will be fully realised with the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
“Because twenty years after our accession, Cyprus remains divided, because it is unthinkable that in 2024 there will be dividing lines within Europe itself. That is why the EU stands ready to support the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem,” she said.
In conclusion, Kyriakides went back twenty years and spoke about the feelings of pride and emotion she felt at the moment of the country’s official accession to the EU.
“I remember even more how our children and young people had felt back then, with open horizons, opportunities and hope ahead of them. It is for these children and for the generations that follow t
hat we are celebrating today, because they are the heart of Europe,” concluded the European Commissioner.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency