President Christodoulides said that the EU is “our common home” and we must have a more active role in its discussions and decisions
We want the second Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU to be even more successful, said President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday, noting the importance of organising a successful presidency, like the one in 2012, for a small member state.
Receiving in the morning, at the Presidential Palace, the annual report of the European Parliament in Cyprus from the head of the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus, Andreas Kettis, President Christodoulides also said that the EU is “our common home” and we must have a more active role in its discussions and decisions.
He added that he is aware of “the excellent work done by the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus”, which is “recognised by the Cypriot society as a whole.”
President Christodoulides also referred to the work being done regarding the Cypriot youth, “because that is where our efforts should be focused”, as he noted.
He continued noting that he is not satisfied with the extent to which citizens perceive the importance of Europe, but also with the importance they attach to what happens in Europe, adding that “as a government we have a responsibility, bearing in mind that our EU membership was the most important success.” Furthermore, he said that Cyprus is gradually making the most of integration, adding that “we clearly need to do more.”
“The legislative work of the European Parliament is of crucial importance and also concerns the Republic of Cyprus, since a significant number of our legislation is the adoption of the decisions taken in Brussels,” indicated President Christodoulides.
He underlined that “what we should understand as the executive power, but also the legislative power, like the Cypriot MEPs, is that we should not limit ourselves to the adoption of the decisions of either the Commission or the Council, but to actively participate in the drafting of these legislative acts on the part of Parliament or the EU in general”. That is why, he noted, he considers the role of the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus “decisive.”
“Our cooperation will be strengthened even more, we have common goals and common aspirations and we have before us a milestone that I consider of decisive importance, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU,” he went on to say.
“We worked in the first Presidency, we know how important it was, how important it is for a small member state like the Republic of Cyprus to have a successful presidency, as we had in 2012 and this by all accounts, is not just our assessment,” said the President, expressing at the same time the desire “for this second presidency to be even more successful.” To this end, he indicated, “cooperation with the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus is a necessary condition.”
Delivering the annual report of the European Parliament in Cyprus, Andreas Kettis said that it concerns the year 2022, adding that the mission of the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus “is to inform Cypriot European citizens about what is going on in the European Parliament, both for the resolutions as well as for the legislation it produces together with the Council.”
He also said that the European Parliament is the only directly elected European institution of the EU, expressing thanks to the President of the Republic for the support provided to his Office.
Kettis pointed out that “the institutions are particularly pleased that the President of the Republic of Cyprus declares himself a pro-European,” adding that “Brussels is not far from Cyprus.” He also noted that “Cyprus and the EU are the same thing, we are at the core, it is very important for a small member state like our country to be at the core of European integration”.
Referring to the second Cypriot EU Council Presidency the head of the European Parliament representation expressed the conviction that “if the government wants to have a good presidency, it will achieve an excellent presidency”, adding that he has no doubt about it since President Christodoulides is the head of government and having had the experience of the first presidency which was a successful one.
Source: CNA
