As the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council kicked off this month, today, the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides address the European Parliament. In her speech, President Metsola said that Parliament will work closely together to make people's lives easier.
Dear colleagues, Today it is a pleasure to welcome the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides once again to this Plenary. This time to present the Cyprus Presidency’s programme of activities to Members of the European Parliament Dear President, dear Nikos, welcome. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and for your straight forwardness. Cyprus assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a pivotal time for Europe and for the world. The one thing that we know for sure is that the next six months will not be easy, but we will be grateful to have you at the helm as Europe navigates what may come. Europe will remain focused on securing its competitiveness, on making life easier for families and businesses and in making sure our systems can adapt to today’s realities. We will keep investing and ramping up Europe’s commitment to our security and our defence and, ensuring our voice remains strong on the world stage. Our way will continue to be tested and I know that with your experience under pressure, Europe will continue to show unity, resolve and clarity, and remain the compass we know it to be. From one proud child of the Mediterranean to another, I know that Cyprus is well placed to lead us forward. You help connect Europe to the world, you understand first-hand many of the challenges that we face today, and you know how to bring people together to build the solutions that Europe needs. Over the coming months, we will continue to work closely together. We will take the next steps to reinforce our pact on Migration and Asylum. We will simplify our processes, even internally, to make Europe work better for people as we shape our next long-term budget. And we will strengthen our security on all fronts, from defence readiness to energy independence; from supporting Ukraine to helping find ways forward in the Middle East and reinforcing the transatlantic relationship. And dear President, allow me to say that Cyprus can continue to count on the backing of this Parliament. In this chamber, we do not talk about a Cyprus problem, but about a shared European issue. The European Parliament will always be on your side towards a single sovereign European state, a bicommunal, bizonal federation in line with the UN resolutions and rooted in our shared values and EU law. Finally dear President, let me say how pleased we are to see the excellent cooperation between your Presidency and the European Parliament already over these first twenty days. It augurs well for the future and for swift and effective progress to be made. So without further ado, dear Nikos, dear President, the floor is yours.
You can read the President's speech in Greek here.