EU support for reunification is a given and unwavering, says M. Schinas – May 1, 2004 finds its place in the great dates that have indelibly stamped the History of Cyprus
The reunited Cyprus should be a single, functional European state, which will support and support all its citizens, a powerful member state of Europe and the eurozone, not a product of arrangements that will export problems, and here the political support of Europe is a given and unwavering, said the Vice-President of the European Commission MargaritisSchinas, in his greeting during the anniversary event on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the accession of Cyprus to the European Union, which took place on Thursday evening at the Municipal Theater of Nicosia.
< p>According to Mr. Schina, the 1st of May 2004 finds its place among the great dates that have indelibly stamped the history of Cyprus, next to the struggle for independence and the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, demarcating and marking “the end of the small, dependent and vulnerable Cyprus and the beginning of a new strong, dynamic homeland with unshakable power multipliers offered by its participation in the EU and the Eurozone”.
The accession of Cyprus to the European Union made a decisive contribution to the modernization and progress of the country, to the increase in the standard of living and to the strengthening of the political, cultural and economic ties that historically united the Cypriots with Europe, continued the Vice-President of the European Commission, citing indicatively the facilitation of Cyprus' commercial access to international markets, with the value of Cypriot international exports of goods reaching from 420 million euros in 2004 to 3 billion euros in 2023, and the support from the Recovery and Resilience Fund and NextGenerationEU for the digital and the green transition of Cyprus, with a budget of over 1.2 billion euros.
He also said that at least 8,000 young Cypriots have studied across Europe thanks to the Erasmus program, while 16,000 students from the rest of Europe have come and studied in Cyprus, he described EU support as crucial for the creation of the National Health System of Cyprus in 2017, adding that NextGenerationEU funding is helping Cyprus improve its public health system infrastructure, as well as access to public health services, while the Cohesion Funds have been instrumental in supporting local communities on the island, including rural and mountainous areas, helping in the establishment of university campuses in Nicosia and Limassol and invested in road networks for better connectivity of the cities.
There is also no doubt that Cyprus makes the European Union stronger even in these troubled times, continued Mr. Schinas, adding that Cyprus is proving in practice that it can make the most of its geographical position as a bridge between continents, leading in strengthening the European Union's relations with the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. “You are the elbow, the anchor and the leeward port of Europe in one of the most geopolitically troubled regions of the planet”, he noted characteristically.
He also added that today Cyprus is emerging as a European point of reference for trade, economy, energy, shipping and humanitarian actions between Europe, Africa and Asia, adding that when the country opened in March a humanitarian sea corridor with the Amalthia initiative to Gaza, proved to be a hub of solidarity, “not only for Europe but also for the world”. it is the Amalthia of our times that proves that the small can stand next to the big, or rather that at the time of crisis there are no small and big”, he emphasized.
According to Mr. Schina, despite joint successes in returns and limiting flows from the Green Line, Cyprus is now under pressure from Lebanon and from the sea, adding however that the country is not alone in managing the problem, as the European Commission fully supports Cyprus in facing this challenge, providing significant operational and financial support to the management of immigration.
He added that the personal involvement of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in the historic, as he said, agreement with Lebanon last week shows how far the EU is willing to go to support Cyprus, while at the same time he expressed the certainty that the effective implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum will be key to achieving a new and fair balance between responsibility and solidarity, with Cyprus becoming one of the major beneficiaries of the new legislation.
In this time of celebration and reckoning we must not forget the other great issue of May 1, 2004, the reunification of the Republic of Cyprus, the Vice-President of the Commission then stated, adding that the de facto division of Cyprus reminds us that the expectations of integration have not yet been fully vindicated, with the 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 fellow Turkish Cypriots know this well, I hope that their leadership will understand it here on the island as well as in Ankara”, he added.
“The reunited Cyprus should be a single, functional European state that will support and support all its citizens, a powerful member state of Europe and the Eurozone, not a product of arrangements that will export problems, and here Europe's political support is a given and unwavering”, he stressed.
He also said that during the last five years Europe has been called upon to manage successive, historic crises and that the question for the new political cycle is how to keep alive a more ambitious and dynamic Europe, for the transition from the “Europe of of crises” in the “Europe of solutions”, adding that the European Union is not a fateful result of geography, but a venture for a common identity.
“As a Greek, a European and a little Cypriot now, I celebrate with you with joy and pride what we have achieved in the last 20 years. Let's go for more, more and better. Happy birthday!” concluded Mr. Schinas.
For her part, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou said that for Cyprus joining the European Union was a natural development since it has always had a European orientation, adding that although Cyprus has faced many challenges in the last 20 years, it continues its course as an equal and valuable member of the Union.
Referring to the benefits that the country obtained from joining the EU, she singled out 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 development, education, digitization, energy.
“The position of Cyprus is of strategic importance for EU policy. A recent example is the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus inaugurating the Amalthea sea corridor last March. Cyprus plays a central role in this humanitarian corridor and this has been recognized both at the European level and globally”, he stressed.
The road in these 20 years has not always been easy, there have been challenges and crises alongside the successes, but the European Union is here, it beats at the heart of Nicosia and verifies every day that the European principles remain as relevant as ever, Ms. Kyriakidou continued, at the same time expressing the hope that these principles will be fully verified with the resolution of the Cyprus issue.
“Why is it that 20 years after our accession, Cyprus remains divided, because it is not understood that in 2024 there will be dividing lines within the same Europe. That is why the EU stands ready to support the resumption of talks for the solution of the Cyprus problem”, he noted.
Closing, Mrs. Kyriakidou looked back twenty years and spoke about the feelings of pride and emotion she felt at at the time of the country's official accession to the EU.
“I remember even more how our children and young people felt then, when they had open horizons, opportunities and hope in front of them. It is for these children and for the generations that follow that today we celebrate, because they are the heart and the future of Europe”, concluded the European Commissioner.
