We approach the Presidency of the Council of the EU as a moment of responsibility and as a member state that fully understands how high the stakes are today for the European Union: the need to translate strategic objectives into tangible results and tools, and to articulate our strategic priorities as a Union, Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna said on Wednesday speaking at a press conference in Nicosia for the journalists accredited in Brussels.
Outlining the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the EU, Raouna stressed that the assumption of the Presidency followed two years of intensive preparation and that as President Christodoulides has repeatedly stated, the Presidency constitutes a national priority.
At the same time, she continued, the role of the Presidency of the Council is not merely an institutional function conferred by the Treaties. ‘We approach it as a moment of responsibility and as a member state that fully understands how high the stakes are today for the European Union: the need to translate strategic objectives into tangible results and tools, and to articulate our strategic priorities as a Union,’ she noted.
In Brussels, Raouna added, reference is often made to the size of Cyprus-one of the smallest member states of the European Union-which is called upon to manage particularly demanding and extensive agendas. While this is indeed true, she noted, our size and geographical position are in fact where our strength lies. ‘And that is also where our strength lies when it comes to the Presidency,’ she added.
The Deputy Minister stressed that when we speak about the importance of upholding international law, of respecting territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence-whether this concerns Ukraine or the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland-we do so from personal, lived experience. ‘Because Cyprus has been living with the consequences of violations of international law for more than 50 years and, in fact, we are the last Member State of the European Union still under military occupation,’ she stated.
She pointed out that looking at the mountain range (referring to Pentadaktylos) that runs through Nicosia, one can see the imprint of the occupation-something that Cypriots, as European citizens, live with on a daily basis. This reality, she noted, gives Cyprus a very unique perspective, as well as a particular sensitivity and empathy when it comes to Ukraine.
She emphasised that this was discussed during President Christodoulides’ visit to Kyiv on 4 December, during which Cyprus presented 19 initiatives it intends to undertake as part of its Presidency in relation to Ukraine. ‘It is also something President Christodoulides discussed with President Zelenskyy when he was invited to the opening ceremony of the Cypriot Presidency just last week,’ Raouna noted.
At the same time, she stressed that Cyprus is also a member state of the European Union whose diplomatic footprint far exceeds its geographical size. ‘This is particularly true in the Eastern Mediterranean, where we work systematically to promote regional cooperation and to act as a pillar of security and stability-as a member state that understands the importance of the region, knows it in depth and has long-standing relationships of trust. In this region, trust is the most valuable asset. It is not built overnight, but tested and consolidated over decades of diplomatic relations,’ she said.
She also noted that Cyprus assumes the Presidency as a small member state with a major national issue, ‘and this gives us the ability to have the right diplomatic reflexes.’ Raouna underlined that because Cyprus faces a national issue and is part of an exceptionally complex and volatile region, it has developed the diplomatic expertise needed to navigate complexity effectively, to demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity and crises, to focus on what truly matters, to set the right priorities and to see the bigger picture.
Cyprus, as yet another small member state holding the Presidency, Raouna said, also enjoys the additional advantage of being genuinely able to set aside its national agenda and focus exclusively on the European agenda-acting as a Presidency capable of demonstrating the necessary flexibility and adaptability to deliver results. ‘As a small member state, we also have the ability to listen, to be inclusive, to work towards bridging differences and to focus on delivering tangible outcomes. After all, already in the first week of our Presidency, we reached an agreement on Mercosur,’ she added.
The priorities
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Raouna stressed that ‘what we bring to the table, therefore, is a broadening of the lens through which, as a European Union, we pursue the implementation of our strategic priorities.’
Referring to the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency, the Deputy Minister noted that they include defence and security, migration, competitiveness, strengthening Cyprus’s role as a global actor, international trade agreements and social cohesion. ‘We are the first Presidency to include affordable housing as a priority, under our fourth pillar,’ she noted.
‘Our slogan,’ Raouna continued, ‘and our core objective as a Presidency, is an economic union open to the world.’ She said that the Russian invasion and ongoing aggression against Ukraine have definitively shattered the illusion that stability and peace can be taken for granted in the European Union, while also exposing the Union’s strategic dependencies-whether in the field of security or in economic and trade relations.
She underlined that strategic autonomy can no longer remain a theoretical concept. It is something that has been discussed extensively in Brussels in recent years, and the Cypriot Presidency believes that now is the moment to give it substantive content. ‘For us, autonomy means building the European Union’s capacity to act independently. It is synonymous with independence: protecting our citizens, defending our values, delivering results. It is power through cooperation. It is about an outward-looking, not inward-looking, Union,’ she said.
The pillars
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The Deputy Minister explained that the Cypriot Presidency is structured around five interlinked pillars, under the overarching goal of a more autonomous Union that remains open to the world.
The first pillar, Raouna said, concerns autonomy through security, defence and preparedness. ‘And this begins with our support for Ukraine. As Minister Kombos has repeatedly stated, Ukraine remains the highest priority during the Cypriot Presidency. It is an existential issue. It concerns the very architecture of European security, and we will prioritise support for Ukraine at all times,’ she added.
In the area of defence readiness and preparedness, Cyprus will focus on implementing key defence initiatives: the application of SAFE, the adoption of the Defence Readiness Omnibus package, the military mobility package, as well as support for flagship European defence projects that strengthen the EU’s capacity to act. ‘During our Presidency, we will work to deepen EU-NATO cooperation in an inclusive and mutually beneficial manner, strengthening cooperation with like-minded partners,’ Raouna stated.
She stressed that security is not a one-dimensional concept, citing migration as an example of an issue approached also through a security lens and as one of the Presidency’s priorities. She noted that during the Presidency, the implementation of the Pact on Asylum and Migration will move forward, along with negotiations on the returns regulation and on the concepts of safe third countries and safe countries of origin. ‘And because we are a frontline member state that for many years faced disproportionate migratory pressures-but also a member state that over the past three years, through the policies of this government, has achieved tangible results in migration management-we will focus not only on the internal, but also on the external dimension of the issue,’ she said.
Within the framework of security, Raouna added, water security has also been included, ‘as it concerns the management of critical resources.’
The second pillar of priorities relates to autonomy through competitiveness. Raouna stressed that one can speak of a more autonomous Union only if one also speaks of a more competitive Union. ‘Here we will focus on reducing bureaucracy, simplification, advancing omnibus packages, strengthening the single market, promoting innovation, deepening the single market, the capital markets and investment union, as well as energy autonomy and interconnections. During our Presidency, as you know very well, negotiations will also take place on the highly significant Greece package,’ she noted.
Referring to the third pillar, she said it concerns enlargement, stressing that ‘the momentum that exists must be translated into tangible results. We must ensure that the enlargement agenda remains credible. Yes, it is a merit-based and conditional process. But whether we are speaking about Ukraine and Moldova or the Western Balkans, we must ensure that when our partners deliver results, the European Union delivers as well.’
With regard to the Middle East, the southern neighbourhood and the Gulf, Raouna said that ‘we are placing them at the forefront, because we see them as a critical part of the equation for achieving this year’s core priorities-whether in terms of competitiveness, energy diversification or our role as an international trade partner. This region must be part of our strategic equation.’
The Deputy Minister also noted that during the informal European Council to be held in Cyprus on 23-24 April, part of the agenda will focus on the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean, which will be rolled out during the Presidency. ‘The aim is to invite the ten countries of the southern neighbourhood to participate in part of the European Council’s proceedings. In cooperation with the European Commission, we are working to announce the first projects under the Pact for the Mediterranean, under each of its three pillars. This is something we will discuss with the College of Commissioners and with the President, who will be here tomorrow for the College meeting,’ she concluded.
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.