Cyprus embarks on its Presidency of the Council of the European Union determined ‘to act as a bridge between member states, between institutions, between ambition and delivery, and between Europe and its wider region,’ Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna said on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of Cyprus’ EU Presidency in Nicosia.
Addressing the event, Raouna said Cyprus assumes the EU Presidency ‘with immense pride and a deep sense of responsibility,’ noting that while Cyprus is a small island, it carries a big European soul, at a time when Europe stands at a pivotal moment calling for ‘unity, resilience, boldness and confidence in our shared future.’
Referring to Cyprus’s geostrategic position, the Deputy Minister said the island, located at the crossroads of three continents, has for centuries served as a meeting point of peoples, cultures and ideas, and today acts as a bridge between Europe and the wider region of the Middle East and Gulf, as well as ‘the EU’s beacon in the Eastern Mediterranean.’ This lived experience, she said, shapes Cyprus’s Presidency, which is based on dialogue and cooperation, mutual respect, and building bridges.
Raouna noted that the opening of the Presidency through culture was deliberate, stressing that ‘culture is our common language,’ which connects nations, unites citizens and strengthens Europe’s shared home.
Welcoming guests to Nicosia, described as ‘Europe’s last divided capital’ and the Union’s ‘southeastern-most frontier,’ Raouna said that ‘tonight, the heart of our European Union beats louder in Cyprus.’