Cyprus can continue to rely on the support of the European Parliament, its President Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday, as she welcomed Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg.
President Christodoulides was attending ahead of the presentation of the programme of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Cyprus will hold for six months.
Metsola said the issue of Cyprus should not be seen as a national matter but as a European one. She said the European Parliament would always stand by Cyprus in support of a united, sovereign European state, based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation, in line with United Nations resolutions and EU law.
She said Cyprus was taking on the EU Council Presidency at a critical moment for Europe and the wider world. Metsola said the next six months would not be easy, but expressed confidence in Cyprus’s leadership during a period of ongoing challenges.
She said the European Union would remain focused on strengthening its competitiveness, making life easier for families and businesses, and ensuring that EU systems can adapt to current realities.
Metsola added that the EU would continue to invest in security and defence, with the aim of keeping Europe’s voice strong on the global stage.
She said Europe would continue to be tested, but stressed that unity, determination and clarity would remain central to the EU’s response to pressure and crises.
Addressing President Christodoulides directly, Metsola said that, as a fellow Mediterranean leader, she believed Cyprus was well placed to guide the EU forward. She said Cyprus helps connect Europe with the rest of the world and understands many of the challenges facing the Union today.
She also said Cyprus has experience in bringing people together to build solutions that Europe needs.
Metsola said close cooperation would continue in the coming months. She said the EU would move forward with strengthening the Migration and Asylum Pact and simplifying procedures to help Europe work better for citizens and businesses, as discussions continue on the next long-term EU budget.
She added that the EU would strengthen security on all fronts, including defence readiness and energy independence.
She said this would also include continued support for Ukraine, efforts to make progress in the Middle East, and steps to reinforce the transatlantic relationship.