Cyprus Mail 9 September 2024 - by Tom Cleaver
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| File photo: Marilena Raouna with President Nikos Christodoulides during her swearing in ceremony |
Cyprus’ holding of the European Council’s rotating presidency “will involve all the island’s districts”, European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna said on Monday.
Speaking after a meeting with Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zannettou, she said it was the government’s “goal from the beginning” to involve the whole island in the Cyprus’ presidency.
“We included this in our preparation plan, goals, and priorities from the beginning,” Raouna added.
Cyprus will hold the European Council’s rotating presidency during the first half of 2026. This will be the second time Cyprus has held the European Council’s rotating presidency, the first time having been in the second half of 2012.
Raouna pointed out that more than 200 meetings and conferences will take place within the six months during which Cyprus will hold the presidency, and that for this reason, “our goal is to make the most of all of Cyprus’ districts”.
“It is an opportunity to highlight all the districts, from the coastal towns to the mountains, and, of course, our capital, Nicosia, the last divided capital city in Europe,” she said.
To this end, she said, she will be in “constant communication and coordination” with Zannettou to determine the next steps.
“We have a shared goal, shared priorities, and a shared approach,” she said.
The meeting between the pair came after Zannettou, Paralimni mayor Giorgos Nikolettos, and Famagusta District Governor Yiannis Karousos had penned a joint letter to President Nikos Christodoulides over the issue.
The three leaders said the first half of 2026 will be “a very important milestone our country’s history, since Cyprus will be at the centre of interest at the European and international level.”
With this in mind, they said, “our opinion is that this opportunity should be used to promote the whole of Cyprus, since all our districts have the requisite infrastructure to host conferences, councils, and other high-level events.”
Singling out Famagusta, they said the district has hotels and conference rooms which are “well-equipped” to host such events.
They also added that delegates at European Council events could then “enjoy our district’s unique points of reference”, including the Ayia Napa monastery, Cape Greco, the Profitis Elias church, the marinas at Ayia Napa and Paralimni, and the district’s beaches.
More important than this, they said, is that the Cypriot presidency of the European Council “will be a unique opportunity to promote our national issue, and especially the [Turkish] occupation of Famagusta”.
“There will be multiple benefits for the districts, particularly if the conferences and events are held during months when we see less tourist traffic, thus offering the opportunity to highlight the very important issue of our country’s air and sea connectivity,” they said.
They added that for this reason, the signing and adoption of declarations related to tourism and transport connectivity should be a priority of the six months during which Cyprus holds the European Council’s presidency.
